Large hydrographic boats of Project 1896 are designed to perform surveys of the bottom relief, maintenance of floating and coastal aids to navigation equipment, and the delivery of personnel and cargo to the unequipped coast. These boats served on the all four fleets (Baltic, Arctic, Black Sea and Far East) and the Caspian Flotilia.

Large Hydrographic Boat GPB-246 laid down at the Vympel Shipyard, Rybinsk (yard No.47), commissioned on 1968 and was assigned to the Black Sea Fleet.

From 1977 - BGK-246.

On April 1994 the large hydrographic boat BGK-246 was transferred to the Ukrainian Naval Forces with rename to U633. On 01 March 1998 the boat was transferred to the DP Derzhgidrografiya, Ukraine, as BGK-246. From March 2014 - Russia, GUP Sevastopol Morskoy Port.