Ukraine's Navy said on Monday that Moscow’s last naval patrol vessel had left Russian occupied Crimea. It was "most likely," to rebase somewhere else after Kyiv’s coordinated military campaign to combat the Black Sea Peninsula as it battles Russian invaders.

Ukraine, despite not having any major warships, has used drones and missiles to cause significant damage to Russia's Black Sea Fleet. The Russian Black Sea Fleet has been headquartered at Sevastopol, on the peninsula that Moscow seized in 2014.

Ukraine's Navy Chief, Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa said earlier this month that Russia was forced to relocate nearly all of its combat-ready ships from the occupied Crimea.

The last patrol ship from the Black Sea Fleet is leaving our Crimea right now. Dmytro Plenchuk, Navy spokesperson on Facebook, said: "Remember this day."

Pletenchuk, when asked if this was a permanent change, replied: "Most probably, this is just a transition from one base to another", adding that Moscow didn't send ships out to sea without a reason.

The vessel was designated Project 1135, he said.

In the past, Russian authorities did not respond to requests for comments about Ukrainian claims that they had advanced in the Black Sea.

Neizhpapa reported that Kyiv had destroyed or damaged 27 Russian navy vessels. In May, Ukrainian officials said that they destroyed the last Russian cruise missile-armed warship stationed in the peninsula.

The setbacks suffered by Moscow in the Black Sea occur at a moment when Ukrainian troops on the ground are in a weakened position across a wide front, and especially in the east.

Last month, President Vladimir Putin informed the navy chiefs that Russia had restocked its fleet in recent years. He also said that the country was undertaking a major modernisation program that included steps to "increase combat stability and strength of the fleet". (Reporting and editing by Tom Balmforth, Tomasz Januaryowski)