Vladimir Putin has been forced to remove the last Russian patrol ship from the Crimea, in a major humiliation for his Black Sea Fleet.

       Ukraine has successfully targeted the once-powerful fleet using a combination of water drones and missiles.

       Kyiv has sunk several major ships belonging to the fleet, including its flagship the Moskva.

       Now Putin has been forced to send the fleet's last patrol ship to safer waters along Russia's southern coastline.

       Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesman for Ukraine's Navy said in a Facebook post: “The last patrol ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet is leaving our Crimea right now. Remember this day.”

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       The Russian Black Sea Fleet has two patrol ships - "Ladny" and "Pytlivy".

       One of them had already been sent from Sevastopol and hidden in Novorossiysk. The second one has now joined it.

       Pletenchuk noted that the Russian Federation has one remaining opportunity for dominance in the Black Sea - airspace.

       He said it was therefore vital for Ukraine to receive F-16 fighter jets from its Western allies.

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       Last week, the US confirmed that the first batch of F-16s were on their way to Ukraine.

       Ukraine has destroyed and damaged at least 17 ships of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

       To avoid Ukrainian sea-borne attacks, Russia has been forced to move most of its Black Sea Fleet from Sevastopol to Russia’s Novorossiysk.

       According to UK intelligence, the Kremlin is improving infrastructure to allow the fleet to stay there long term.

       As of 17 June, Pletenchuk claimed that one-third of the fleet’s ships had been disabled.

       He added that Ukrainian defence forces continued to target and destroy some of these vessels even after they had undergone repairs.

       Only a few minesweepers and small anti-submarine ships from the fleet remain in the Crimea.