According to the British intelligence services, Russia has withdrawn its Kilo-class submarines from the annexed Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea because of the risk of Ukrainian attacks.

The ships of the Black Sea Fleet had been relocated from their home port of Sevastopol to the southern Russian port of Novorossiysk, the Ministry of Defense announced in London on Tuesday. The Kilo class are conventionally powered submarines mostly from the 1980s. The Russian Black Sea Fleet is traditionally based in Crimea.

The reason for the transfer is most likely that the Ukrainian ability to attack at longer distances has increased and the security situation in Crimea has therefore changed, it said in London. "In the past two months, the fleet headquarters and its main airfield have been attacked."

The ministry pointed out that with the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin also wanted to guarantee the security of the Black Sea Fleet. "The security of the bases has now been directly undermined because of Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine," the agency noted.

Ukraine: Russia increases Black Sea Fleet

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military reported on Monday that the Russian Black Sea Fleet had increased its fleet operating off Crimea to ten ships in the fight against Ukraine. Among them are three missile cruisers and three large landing ships.

The British Ministry of Defense has published daily information on the course of the war since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine at the end of February, citing intelligence information. In doing so, the British government wants to both counter the Russian portrayal and keep allies in line. Moscow accuses London of a targeted disinformation campaign.

British Ministry of Defense notice