MPK „Khmelnitsky" (U208) – small anti-submarine ship (according to western classification – corvette) of the Ukrainian Navy, project 1241.2 „Molniya-2" (according to NATO classification Pauk-I class corvette). Until 1998 bore the name MPK-116…

Story

Laid down on the slipway of the Yaroslavl shipyard No. 512 on October 20, 1983, on July 9, 1984 enlisted in the lists of the Navy ships. Launched on January 26, 1985, it was soon transferred through the inland water systems, first to the Azov Sea, and then to the Black Sea for further tests. On September 9, 1985 it entered service, on September 12, 1985 it was included in the Black Sea Fleet.

He was a member of the 307th anti-submarine battalion of the 17th brigade of ships for the protection of the water area, which was based on Lake Donuzlav.

In January 1992, the personnel of the Crimean naval base, which was based in Donuzlav Bay in the village of Novoozernoe, began to take the oath of Ukraine. While the commander of the ship, Karen Khachaturov, was at home on vacation, on April 5, assistant commander Aleksey Komissarov summoned the crew who had not taken the Ukrainian oath and made an unauthorized transfer of the ship from Novoozernoye to Sevastopol. Before leaving, Komissarov sent a telegram with the following content: "We demand from the heads of the CIS states an early solution to the question of the fate of the Black Sea Fleet, and as a sign of protest against the division of the fleet and the solution of the issue by political means, MPK-116 goes to the raid of the city of Sevastopol. The crew of the MPK-116 stands for the unity of the Black Sea Fleet within the CIS. I ask you to consider my access to the raid of the main base of the Black Sea Fleet as a protest against the undefined status of the Black Sea Fleet.„.

This action was supported by the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Igor Kasatonov. After moving to Sevastopol, the city prosecutor opened a criminal case against Aleksey Komissarov under the article "abuse of office". The „escape" of the ship under the leadership of Komissarov inspired the crew of the SKR-112 ship, which in July 1992 wished to serve in Ukraine and moved from Novoozernoe to Odessa. One of the ships participating in the operation to suppress the exit of the SKR-112 to Odessa was the MPK-116.

During the division of the Black Sea Fleet, the USSR was transferred to the Ukrainian Navy, being in an unsatisfactory condition. It was reclassified into a corvette and named „Khmelnitsky" with the U208 index. For a long time he was in reserve.

In September 2011, he first went to sea for sea trials, after which he took part in the Adequate Response command and staff exercise, practicing the search and destruction of a submarine. Based in the village of Novoozernoe.

On March 21, 2014 the St. Andrew’s flag was raised. At the moment it is under the control of the Russian Federation.