Somewhere in southern Ukraine, the men of the 73rd Marine Special Operations Center are preparing to dive. They remove equipment from their car, lower a black inflatable boat into the water and install an outboard motor. Their faces remain hidden, and they use call signs instead of their real names.
One of them is Lexus. He is 20 years old and joined the unit two years ago. The water has always attracted him, as has the challenge of overcoming himself and the elements. But combat diving is only part of his job.
“Our unit operates in the air, on land and in the water“, he tells ARD. It is part of the Ukrainian special forces. Its tasks include activities such as reconnaissance, combat operations and sabotage behind enemy lines. The men are not allowed to talk about specific missions, the German media outlet specifies.
"There is no escape in the water"
Today, the group is practicing landing on an enemy shore. About two kilometers out to sea, the men must be lowered into the water; with the help of navigational devices, they must reach a certain point, explore the stretch of shore and then report. Only then should other units land at the site.
The soldiers dive with special oxygen devices, which, unlike ordinary compressed air devices, do not emit telltale air bubbles on the surface, ARD explains. In addition to diving equipment, they are also equipped with weapons and navigation devices, and during missions they can carry explosives. The biggest challenge is not necessarily the depth, says Lexus. Above all, they must be able to swim great distances and be able to act under pressure.
Like Lexus, Melya consciously chose this job. He has been in the armed forces since 2015, and has been part of the unit for two years. He says he feels particularly good underwater. But there is another side to the enthusiasm. “Water does not forgive mistakes”, says Melya. “Combat missions are much more difficult to plan, preparation takes longer and they are significantly more dangerous. Because in the water you cannot hide – there's no way to escape.“
The liberation of Snake Island
One of the most famous operations in which divers from the group participated dates back to the summer of 2022. At that time, Russian troops occupied the strategically important Snake Island in the Black Sea. Its return to Ukrainian control was achieved precisely with the help of combat divers, who prepared the landing of special forces.
Since then, the conditions for such operations have changed significantly. Investigative and attack drones allow both sides to monitor the territories more closely and attack from a distance. This makes even underwater operations difficult.
Technology is developing rapidly
But technology is also changing the capabilities of the Ukrainian side - the divers of the unit have newer underwater vehicles, navigation systems and diving computers. In the Black Sea, Ukraine also uses sea drones against Russian warships.
However, unmanned systems do not make combat divers redundant. A ship can now be attacked remotely with a sea drone. However, other tasks cannot yet be assigned to machines - for example, when reconnaissance and preparation of the shore for the landing of marines are needed.
"Because we are fewer in number, we have to act smarter"
The military diver with the nickname “Berlin“ is 33 years old. He has lived in Germany for a long time and speaks German. In 2024, he joined the Ukrainian army and special forces. As a child, he spent many summers in Crimea. After the war, he would like to return there, he says. That motivates him.
However, Ukraine has fewer military personnel than Russia. The answer to this challenge is technological: “Since we are fewer, we have to be smarter. We have to work with technology, with different drones, whether it is sea drones or classic air drones.“
"Fear is part of the job"
During long movements underwater, visibility can be zero. Then, for three or four hours, combat divers see almost nothing - they only hear the noise of their breathing apparatus and control their movements.
"Fear is part of our job - especially when dealing with mines", says one of the combat divers. His motto is: “A cool head and a clear calculation of the next steps.“ The 21-year-old often thinks about the time after the war - he dreams of living on the shores of Crimea, in his house with children and vineyards, says the ARD report.
Author: Susanne Petersson ARD