Satellite images show Russia moved parts of its navy out of Crimea after getting hammered by Ukrainian attacks

• Satellite imagery appears to confirm Russia has moved parts of its navy from Crimea.
• The move is intended to shield the Black Sea Fleet from Ukrainian drone attacks, per a US think tank.

Russia has moved parts of its fleet from its Black Sea base in Sevastopol to safer waters in Russia and eastern Crimea, in a likely bid to protect it from further Ukrainian drone attacks, according to a prominent US think tank.

The Institute for the Study of War cited satellite images dated October 1 and 2 and shared by OSINT analyst MT Anderson to support the claim.

The imagery, captured by Planet Labs PBC, shows that at least 10 vessels were transferred from the Crimean port of Sevastopol to the Russian port city of Novorossiysk in western Russia, the ISW said.

According to MT Anderson, two Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates, along with a Krikav-class frigate, three Kilo-class submarines, and a number of smaller ships, were transferred.

But one Kilo-class submarine and four Russian landing ships were still stationed near Sevastopol, the ISW said, based on satellite footage from October 2.

A Project 22160 patrol ship was also seen for the first time on October 2 near the port of Feodosia in eastern Crimea, suggesting that Russian forces may be relocating navy units from Sevastopol to facilities farther to the rear, the ISW said.

The UK's Ministry of Defence made a similar point on Monday, saying the threats of Ukrainian attacks likely caused some of the Russian Black Sea Fleet's operations to relocate to the port of Novorossiysk on Russia's western coast.

But it is too soon to jump to conclusions, according to former Norwegian Navy officer and independent OSINT analyst Thord Are Iversen.

Vessel transfers from Sevastopol to other bases have fluctuated since the start of the conflict, especially after Ukraine's attacks, but tend to go back to their regular patterns, Iverson wrote on social media platform X.

"While there are more ships in Feodosiya now, we need more time to make any hard conclusions on this," he added.

In recent weeks, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russia's Black Sea Fleet, including attacking its command center in Sevastopol on September 22.

Ukrainian attacks are part of a "sophisticated, multi-domain counteroffensive" designed to isolate Crimea and make it "untenable" for Russian forces to stay there, Ben Hodges, a retired lieutenant general and former commander of US Army Europe, told Insider last month.