Following the mutinies of 1905 he served as a defence lawyer for the mutineers and managed to spare them from the death penalty.

In 1917 he was promoted to rear admiral and commanded the Black Sea Fleet.

In this role on 23 November 1917 he asked the Ukrainian People's Republic to take the fleet under his jurisdiction.

[1] On 30 September 1918 the Ukrainian State appointed Nemits as their Minister of Marine.

[2] Later in 1918 he joined the Red Navy and fought in the civil war where he was wounded.