Ukrainian Marine Corps The Ukrainian Marine Corps ( literally means " Naval Infantry " ) is a branch of the Ukrainian Navy . It is used as a component part of amphibious , airborne and amphibious - airborne operations , alone or in accordance with formations and units of the Army in order to capture parts of the seashore , islands , ports , fleet bases , coast airfields and other coast objects of the enemy . It can also be used to defend naval bases , vital areas of the shore , separate islands and coast objects , security of hostile areas . Mission . Act independently during attacks on enemy ' s naval installations , ports , islands and coastal areas . Clear the enemy ' s coastal areas & provide security during the landing of the main force . The motto of " Always Faithful " is similar to the US Marine Corps " Semper Fidelis " . History . Hetmanate . Former Russian Imperial army general Pavlo Skoropadskyi understood the importance of marines in providing security to the country . Being the commander - in - chief of land and naval forces , Skoropadskyi brought attention to creating the marine corps during his first month in power . On May 23 , 1918 he ordered the Department of Navy to " Begin forming a Brigade of marines consisting of three regiments " . The mission of the Marines was protecting the coastal areas , serving as a garrison force for forts and conducting landing operations . According to the order the Brigade was divided into three regiments . First regiment was responsible for the areas between the western border until the village of Suchavka , near Odessa . Second regiment was responsible for territory between Suchavka and Stanislavov . Third regiment protected the areas from Stanislavov until Perekop . Brigade was also put in charge of guarding property of the Navy Department . Each of the three regiments consisted of three kuren s . Each kuren consisted of three Sotnia and a machine gun unit . Commandant of the first regiment was Ilarion Isaievych . On August 31 , 1918 each unit was given the permanent headquarters . First regiment ' s HQ was located in Odessa , second ' s HQ in Mykolaiv and third ' s HQ in Kherson . Also at this time 3 squadrons of cavalry were formed . First was stationed in Odessa , second in Ochakiv and third in Perekop . In October 1918 new recruits born in 1899 , would have joined the ranks of the marines , however due to the political situation of that autumn the recruits had to wait until a better time . Not long after , Pavlo Skoropadskyi was removed from power in an uprising led by Symon Petliura . Marines continued to faithfully serve their nation under the banner of the Ukrainian People ' s Republic . Many of them have died for freedom and independence . Modern history . On February 22 , 1993 , the 880th Separate Naval Infantry Battalion of the Black Sea Fleet commanded by Major Vitaliy G . Rozhmanov pledged their allegiance to Ukraine . After the Naval Forces were created on July 1 , 1993 , the first battalion of the Marine Corps was formed in the city of Sevastopol . The first marines were transferred from the airmobile units . On September 1 , 1993 , the 41st Separate Marine Battalion was formed . By September 20 , 1994 , the 4th Marine Corps Brigade was stationed in the Tilovoe village of Crimea . From May 1996 until 1998 , the Brigade was a part of the Ukrainian National Guard . In 1998 , it was transferred to the Navy and re - designated the 1st Separate Marine Corps Brigade . In 1999 , the Brigade consisted of two battalions numbering 1 , 500 marines . During 2003 – 04 , the The Ukrainian armed forces underwent a program to reduce the number of brigades , and the Marine Corps Brigade was reduced to a Battalion . Currently , the battalion is under the jurisdiction of the 36th Separate Coastal Guard Brigade , and it is stationed in Feodosiya . The Ukrainian Marines wear a dark blue beret . Reform . The ideal goal in the reform of the Marine Corps is to form a unit which would be similar to the units sent to Iraq . It is planned that there will be no more conscripts in the Marine Corps , only professional marines . Organization . Current structure . Today , all of the marines are organized into 1st Separate Marine Battalion .