'Difficult to accept': Prominent Russian hardliner admits its navy couldn't defend itself from Ukraine

• Russia recently relocated much of its Black Sea Fleet after it got battered by Ukrainian attacks.
• The channel Rybar, which has ties to the Kremlin, said the move was uncomfortable but necessary.

A Russian hardline pro-war account conceded that the Black Sea Fleet couldn't defend itself from Ukraine and had to pull back.

In a Telegram post on Friday, Rybar, an anonymous blogger rumored to have connections to the Kremlin, said it was a tough pill to swallow.

"Even though it's difficult to accept, the Black Sea Fleet cannot fully ensure its security now," Rybar wrote.

"As long as the enemy has access to the sea, and NATO aviation is quietly directing drones and missiles over there, the danger will remain," it added.

The channel was referring to a string of successful Ukrainain attacks that forced the Black Sea Fleet to move many of its vessels away form its base in Sevastopol, Crimea, to safer waters.

Satellite imagery from the past week showed at least 10 of Russia's vessels were transferred to the port city of Novorossiysk, analysts at the respected Institute for the Study of War said.

Others sailed to Feodosia, a port on Crimea's eastern side.

The vessels included the Admiral Makarov and Admiral Essen frigates, as well as Kilo-class attack submarines, and patrol ships.

In the Telegram post, Rybar also sought to downplay the significance of the move.

It argued that it was "perfectly reasonable" and did not diminish Russia's ability to fire missiles from its ships towards Ukraine.

It also said that Russia's hold on Crimea was no less secure after much of the fleet left — an assessent that others may contest.

In an intelligence briefing on Monday, the UK's Ministry of Defence said the threats of further Ukrainian attacks likely caused Russia to relocate its operations.

While Russia's naval power is significantly larger than Ukraine's, it has repeatedly struggled against Ukraine's exploding sea drones and, more recently, attacks by cruise missile.

Russia's Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.