The Marine Corps is descended from the formations of the Black Sea Fleet Naval Infantry of the former Imperial Russian Navy.

Former Russian Imperial army general Pavlo Skoropadskyi understood the importance of naval infantry in providing security to the country.

[4][8][9] The mission of the Naval Infantry was protecting coastal areas, serving as a garrison force for forts and conducting landing operations.

The Naval Infantry continued to faithfully serve their nation under the banner of the Ukrainian People's Republic.

[8] On February 22, 1993, the 880th Separate Naval Infantry Battalion of the Black Sea Fleet commanded by Major Vitaliy Rozhmanov pledged their allegiance to Ukraine.

[7][10] After the Navy was created on July 1, 1993, as a separate service branch of the Armed Forces, the first battalion of the Naval Infantry was formed in the city of Sevastopol.

[15] The Ukrainian Marine Corps was particularly hard hit by the Russian annexation of Crimea as all of their forces except for the 73rd Spetsnaz Detachment were stationed on the peninsula, due to this the unit had to undergo extensive reorganization before being able to be deployed to the war in the Donbas.

The creation of the Marine Corps Command was a step towards bringing the Ukrainian Navy into line with NATO structures.

The former black berets were changed to light green following the practice of the British Royal Marines and the Italian Army Lagunari.

[27][28][29] The new colours include the blue cross from the naval ensign as an acknowledgement of its role as a constituent service of the Navy.

[35] By 16 April, the Marines and Azov had entrenched themselves in the Azovstal iron and steel works, the last Ukrainian bastion in Mariupol.

[37] In celebration of the 105th Marine Corps Birthday on 23 May 2023, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his capacity as Supreme Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, in a visit to a Marine Corps installation announced that effective that day, in gratitude for service to the nation and people, especially during the ongoing Russian invasion, after more than three decades since its reactivation the Marine Corps was to be officially separated from the Ukrainian Navy and was elevated into a service branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with its Commandant General now a part of the General Staff and appointed by the Commander in Chief of the AFU.

[38][39] While it will be a separate service branch of the Armed Forces, arrangements have been made for the Navy to continue assisting the Marine Corps in its amphibious operations through its landing craft and providing air cover as well as providing shore gunnery support from its vessels for its landing operations.

The decision to bifurcate from the Navy proper and become an independent branch of the AFU was made with the needs of the Corps and its growing number of servicemen and women currently fighting against Russian forces during the ongoing invasion taken into account, as well as the status of its constituent formations and its mission and obligations in regards to provisions of the Constitution and laws of the republic as a part of the wider Armed Forces in both war and peace.

The Corps will also continue to provide Marine detachments to serve in the Navy's seagoing and riverine assets and in defense of its naval bases and stations.

[40] Another reason for the separation of its command structure from the Navy was the recognition that the Marine Corps needs to have independence in decision making to more effectively carry out amphibious operations.

In October 2023, the 38th Marine Brigade crossed the Dnieper river into the Russian-controlled Kherson Oblast and captured a bridgehead on the left bank at the village of Krynky.

[43] The Ukrainian marines have taken notably heavy losses while crossing the river and fighting to maintain the bridgehead.

With the new status the Marine Corps' brigades and pre-war battalions received new coat of arms effective July.