М-200 Месть (Myest, meaning "vengeance" or "revenge") was a Malyutka class (Serie XV) short-range, diesel attack submarine of the Soviet Navy. On 21 November 1956 while returning to port after transit to Paldiski near Tallinn, Myest was to rendezvous with the destroyer Статный (Statnyj, meaning "stately"). At about 19:45 hours, after spotting the destroyer, the boat's commanding officer, Captain Second Rank Yuri Pavlovich Shtikov, gave the conn to Captain Third Rank Shumanin, and went below for supper. Shumanin had previous experience in Щ-type (щука, shchuka, "pike") and С-type (средняя, srednyaja, "medium") boats, but was new to М-type (малая, malaya, "small") boats such as M-200.