The Deputy
Commander of the Naval Forces of Ukraine announced the construction of a new ship for the Ukrainian Navy during an interview for one of the
Odesa TV channels in March 2017. The Ukrainian shipbuilder PSC Kuznia na Rybalskomu was specified as the lead manufacturer. It was built using an unfinished hull of the Project 502EM trawler. Kuznia na Rybalskomu launched the new medium reconnaissance ship on 23 April 2019. In October 2019, the ship was loaded into a floating dock and delivered by inland waterways from
Kyiv to Odesa. Since January 2020, it had been undergoing factory tests in the Black Sea near Odesa. In December 2020, it was named "
Simferopol" - in honor of the training ship
U543 Simferopol captured by Russia in 2014. The National Industrial Portal UProm.info stated: In particular, various antennas were installed during the works, namely the
Melchior radio intelligence station and other systems. == Sinking ==