He commanded the Black Sea Fleet between 1985 and 1991, directing the effort to push United States Navy ships out of Soviet waters in the Black Sea bumping incident, and was replaced in late 1991 after being accused of supporting the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt.

Khronopulo was born on 3 May 1933 in the village of Dvukhglinki, Lukhovitsky District, Moscow Oblast to a family of Greek descent.

He supervised the attempt to push the American cruiser Yorktown and destroyer Caron out of Soviet territorial waters on 12 February 1988, which became known as the Black Sea bumping incident.

In August 1989 he welcomed Deputy Commander in Chief, United States Naval Forces Europe Vice Admiral Paul Ilg to Sevastopol when cruiser Thomas S. Gates and frigate Kauffman visited the naval base in the first United States Navy visit to the Soviet Union since 1975.

[3] Khronopulo held the position until he was relieved of it in October 1991[1] after being accused of supporting the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt.