France began transporting four FPB 98 MKI patrol boats for the Ukrainian State Border Service. The boats, designed to protect the state border and counter sabotage and reconnaissance groups, were sent on the UHL Fusion cargo ship from the port of Saint-Nazaire to the Black Sea.

This batch of patrol boats is part of a 2019 contract between France and Ukraine. Earlier this year, Kyiv already received four of the same boats, which were delivered to the port of Constanta, Romania, and then relocated to Izmail. Under the contract, Ukraine is to receive a total of 20 FPB 98 MKI patrol boats, of which five will be built in Nikolaev at the Ukrainian shipbuilding enterprise Nibulon.

The FPB 98 MKI boats are equipped with a 30mm DS30B gun mount, can reach speeds of up to 30 knots and have a cruising range of 1200 nautical miles. The crew of each boat is 14 people. A special feature is their shallow draft, which allows the boats to be used effectively in shallow water areas.

This batch of boats, like the previous ones, will probably be delivered to Romania, from where it will then be relocated to Ukraine.