Oleksii Neyizhpapa
Rear Admiral Oleksii Neyizhpapa commanded Ukraine's Naval Forces during the opening years of the full-scale invasion. Faced with an overwhelming Russian Black Sea Fleet advantage after the loss of Crimea in 2014, he oversaw the transformation of Ukrainian naval strategy from conventional fleet operations to asymmetric maritime warfare using sea drones, coastal missile systems, and special operations. Under his command, Ukrainian naval forces contributed to the sinking of the Moskva guided-missile cruiser in April 2022 — the largest warship sunk in combat since the Falklands War. He also coordinated the famous Snake Island operations that kept the island contested and disrupted Russian maritime operations in the northwestern Black Sea.
Key Operations
- —Naval Forces command throughout full-scale invasion (Feb 2022 – 2023)
- —Snake Island operations (March 2022 – July 2022)
- —Coordination of Moskva cruiser sinking (April 13, 2022)
- —Development of Magura/Sea Baby unmanned surface vehicle program
- —Neptune coastal missile system deployment
Notable
The sinking of the Russian guided-missile cruiser Moskva on April 13–14, 2022 — using Ukrainian-made Neptune anti-ship missiles — was the most significant naval loss Russia suffered since World War II. The operation was coordinated under Neyizhpapa's command and dealt a major blow to Russian naval prestige and Black Sea operations, ultimately leading Russia's Black Sea Fleet to relocate most assets away from Sevastopol by 2024.