Ukrainian patrol vessel Starobilsk

	Starobilsk in Odesa
History
United States
Name	USCGC Drummond
Namesake	Drummond Island, Michigan
Builder	Bollinger Shipyard, Lockport, Louisiana
Commissioned	19 October 1988
Homeport	Miami Beach, Florida
Identification	MMSI number: Unknown; Callsign: NRUF;
Motto	Keep On, Keepin' On
Fate	Transferred to Ukraine
Ukraine
Name	Starobilsk
Namesake	Starobilsk
Acquired	27 September 2018
In service	13 November 2019
Identification	Pennant number: P191
General characteristics
Class and type	Island-class patrol boat
Displacement	164 tons
Length	110 ft (34 m)
Beam	21 ft (6.4 m)
Draft	6.5 ft (2.0 m)
Propulsion	Twin Paxman-Valeta 16-CM RP-200M
Speed	over 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range	9,900 miles
Endurance	6 days
Boats & landing ; craft carried	1 - RHI (90 HP outboard engine)
Complement	18 personnel (2 officers, 16 enlisted)
Armament	25 mm Mk 38 machine gun; 2 × .50 caliber machine gun;

The Ukrainian patrol vessel Starobilsk (P191)^[1] is an Island-class patrol boat of the Naval Forces of Armed Forces of Ukraine belonging to the 30th Surface Ships Division.

Originally named USCGC Drummond, named for Drummond Island, Michigan for the United States Coast Guard and then upon joining Ukraine, renamed for the town Starobilsk. Drummond was commissioned on 19 October 1988, at Bollinger Shipyard in Lockport, Louisiana, and was last homeported in San Juan, Puerto Rico. With a top speed in excess of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) and a cruising speed of 26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph), the ship is capable of enduring unsupported operations for six days and accommodates two officers and sixteen enlisted personnel.

The US Coast Guard's first Sentinel-class cutters were stationed in Florida, replacing Island-class cutters like Drummond.^[2]

History

Service in the U.S. Coast Guard

After commissioning, Drummond served in the U.S. Coast Guard's busiest district and was decorated for her involvement in a variety of operations. In 1992 and 1994, Drummond was awarded the Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation while working with other U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy units that combined for the safe interdiction of over 20,502 Haitian migrants at sea.

Originally homeported in Port Canaveral, Florida, Drummond's home port was changed to Key West in the summer of 2002. Typical patrols in Key West's area of operations involved search and rescue, migrant interdiction operations, fisheries law enforcement, counter narcotics operations, and homeland security. Drummond shifted homeports to Miami Beach in support of the Coast Guard's effort to maximize the operational hours of the patrol boats in the Seventh District by utilizing a dual-crew manning concept.

In April 2004, Drummond again returned to Haiti in support of Operation Able Sentry and Operation Secure Tomorrow as that country's poor political and economic situation generated an exodus of migrants. In 2005, Drummond was again awarded the Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation for her efforts in stemming the illegal flow of Cuban migrants in the Florida Straits. Drummond also was credited for saving more than $500,000 in property during this period in search-and-rescue cases, including a daring rescue of a dismasted sailboat during Tropical Storm Arlene.

After 2004, Drummond was credited with interdicting over 550 illegal Cuban migrants in the Florida Straits, on eight go-fast vessels and 26 homebuilt boats and rafts. Drummond also recovered nearly 120 illegal migrants from various Bahamian islands, working closely with the Royal Bahamas Defence Force. Drummond cared for 1,600 illegal migrants on her decks while conducting 32 politically sensitive repatriations to Cabanas, Cuba.

Transfer to the Ukrainian Naval Forces

On 27 September 2018, Drummond and USCGC Cushing were formally transferred to Ukraine, after their retirement from the US Coast Guard.^[2] The two vessels were shipped, as deck cargo, and arrived in Odesa on 21 October 2019.^[3]

The patrol boat was renamed after the Donbas town Starobilsk. This name perpetuates the memory of two deceased sailors, natives of the namesake town — sailor Olexandr Veremeyenko and senior sailor Stepan Kryl.^[4]

References

^ "American Island-class boats "Sloviansk" and "Starobilsk" have arrived to Odesa". Ministry of Defence Ukraine. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
^ ^a ^b "US Coast Guard transfers two Island-class cutters to Ukraine". Naval Today. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018. The US Coast Guard transferred two of its decommissioned Island-class cutters to Ukraine in a ceremony at the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, on September 27.
^ Ben Werner (21 October 2019). "Retired U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Arrive in Odessa to Join Ukrainian Navy". United States Naval Institute. Retrieved 23 October 2019. The general cargo ship Ocean Freedom delivering the two cutters arrived at the Black Sea port of Odessa, according to Istanbul-based ship spotters and UNIAN.
^ "Ukrainian Navy has received Island-class patrol boats "Starobilsk", "Sloviansk" and search and rescue vessel "Oleksandr Okhrimenko"". Ministry of Defence Ukraine. 13 November 2021. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2021.

External links

UATV English: US Coast Guard Patrol Boats were Granted to the Ukrainian Navy

[1] "American Island-class boats "Sloviansk" and "Starobilsk" have arrived to Odesa". Ministry of Defence Ukraine. Retrieved 9 July 2021.

[navaltoday2018-09-27-2] "US Coast Guard transfers two Island-class cutters to Ukraine". Naval Today. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018. The US Coast Guard transferred two of its decommissioned Island-class cutters to Ukraine in a ceremony at the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, on September 27.

[Usni2019-10-21-3] Ben Werner (21 October 2019). "Retired U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Arrive in Odessa to Join Ukrainian Navy". United States Naval Institute. Retrieved 23 October 2019. The general cargo ship Ocean Freedom delivering the two cutters arrived at the Black Sea port of Odessa, according to Istanbul-based ship spotters and UNIAN.

[4] "Ukrainian Navy has received Island-class patrol boats "Starobilsk", "Sloviansk" and search and rescue vessel "Oleksandr Okhrimenko"". Ministry of Defence Ukraine. 13 November 2021. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2021.

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