Ukraine says it has pushed Russian forces from Snake Island

[onthedarkside]

 

Winning back vital Black Sea island could weaken any future Russia coastal land attack

 

Ukrainian forces have pushed Russian forces from Snake Island, a strategic Black Sea island off the southern coast near the city of Odesa.

 

Russia portrayed the pullout from Snake Island off the port city of Odesa as a “goodwill gesture”. Ukraine’s military said the Russians fled the island in two speedboats following a barrage of Ukrainian artillery and missile strikes.

 

Ukraine’s win will weaken any plans Russia may have for a future land attack on that stretch of coastline, Ukrainian officials say.

 

Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the commander of Ukraine’s armed forces, said Ukrainian-made Bohdana howitzers had played an important role in routing Russian forces from Snake Island, and he thanked foreign partners for their support.

 

(more)

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/30/ukraine-forces-reportedly-recapture-snake-island-in-strategic-win

 

 

 

[onthedarkside]

Russian forces withdraw from Snake Island

Moscow says retreat shows ‘goodwill’ but Kyiv claims victory after bombardment of strategic Black Sea outpost

 

Russia withdrew forces from the strategic Black Sea outpost of Snake Island in what the defence ministry described as a “gesture of goodwill” to help restore Ukrainian grain shipments, but which Kyiv claimed was a humiliating retreat.

 

The ministry said on Thursday that its troops had “finished fulfilling their tasks” and “demonstrated that Russia is not blocking the UN’s efforts to organise a humanitarian corridor to export agricultural goods from Ukraine”.

 

Kyiv rejected this, saying it had driven Russian forces from Snake Island with an artillery bombardment. Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said the victory showed that allies “should not be wary of providing Ukraine with more heavy weapons”.

 

(more)

 

https://www.ft.com/content/88a2aae7-8d12-45f2-9763-e5d8b1791d33

 

 

 

[Bkk Brian]

1 minute ago, onthedarkside said:

“gesture of goodwill” to help restore Ukrainian grain shipments

Or they could have just not fired on passing ships carrying grain, what a feeble excuse for a humiliating defeat