A city with special status (Ukrainian: місто зі спеціальним статусом, romanized: misto zi spetsial'nym statusom), formerly a "city of republican subordinance",[1] is a type of first-level administrative division of Ukraine.
In addition, before 2020 Kyiv also served as the administrative center for the oblast's Kyiv-Sviatoshyn Raion (district).
The city was home to the Ukrainian Navy as well as the Russian Black Sea Fleet, although since the Crimean crisis, both Crimea and Sevastopol were annexed by Russia as federal subjects, a move declared illegal by both the Ukrainian government and a majority of the international community.
Similar status existed at times of the Russian Empire and many of them were located on shores of Black Sea.
Among the first city municipalities that were established on territory of modern Ukraine in the beginning of 19th century were Odesa, Taganrog and Feodosia.