Ukraine’s Navy said Monday that the “last patrol vessel” of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is leaving Crimea. This comes as Russia’s Naval Forces stationed near mainland Ukraine are struggling to deal with Ukrainian drones and missiles.

In a social media post, Dmytro Plenchuk, spokesperson of Ukraine’s Navy, said: “Remember this Day.”

Pletenchuk, a Reuters reporter, confirmed that the vessel was a Project 1135. Newsweek contacted the Russian Defense Ministry by email to get a comment.

Ukraine has no large navy or warships. It has used innovative drones and unmanned aerial vehicles to strike the Black Sea Fleet of Russia, which has been based partially in Sevastopol, a southern Crimean city, since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014

Western intelligence believes that Russia has limited its activities in the western Black Sea where Ukraine is more likely to threaten its fleet. Russia moved many of its most important assets from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk, a base in the Krasnodar Region.

Moscow may also be building a new base in Abkhazia. This region is a breakaway area that has been internationally recognized as a part of Georgia. The Russian resources would be further removed from Ukraine. Ukraine’s Navy has also reported Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov to the northeast of Crimea.

Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa of Ukraine’s Navy told Reuters in early February that Moscow “lost” Sevastopol. He added: “Almost all of the main combat-ready vessels have been removed by the enemy from their main base on the Black Sea Fleet.”

According to British intelligence, Russia tried to protect its bases by using decoys, false silhouettes, and barges to confuse or fool Ukrainian drone operators.

Moscow announced in early 2018 that it would increase the protection of its fleet by using large-caliber machines guns to shoot down incoming drones before they hit Russian vessels.

Early in March, Ukraine’s GUR military Intelligence agency announced that it had destroyed Sergei Kotov a Russian Patrol vessel close to the Kerch Strait, which separates eastern Crimea and mainland Russia.

GUR stated at the time, that the vessel had “suffered damages to the stern and right and left side,” with a value of around $65,000,000.

Ukraine has been using drones and missiles to target Russian Black Sea Fleet ships since the beginning of the year.

Kyiv has destroyed a few landing ships from Russia, as well as a reconnaissance vessel and a patrol boat, since the start of 2024. In the past, Kyiv had destroyed a Kilo class submarine, and in the early stages of the war, it also took out the Moskva flagship.

The U.S. European Command chief, General Christopher Cavoli told U.S. legislators in April that, although Russia’s Navy has “suffered considerably in the Black Sea”, its overall naval strength remains strong. “Russian Naval Activity worldwide is at an important peak,” Cavoli said.