Russian troops withdrew from Snake Island in the Black Sea after repeated attacks by Ukrainian forces, a move that is a setback for Moscow’s forces and could potentially undermine their control over vital shipping routes.
The retreat came after sustained Ukrainian attacks – including with powerful, newly arrived Western weapons – made it impossible for Russian forces to hold the island, a small piece of land 20 miles off the coast of Odessa that was a large role played by the war.
Just a week after the Kremlin boasted about a fending off of a Ukrainian attempt to retake the island, the Russian withdrawal occurred after another example of Moscow’s downsizing of its military ambitions in the face of Ukrainian resistance.
Both the Russians and Ukrainians confirmed the retreat on Thursday, with the Ukrainians saying it came after a military campaign that kicked off more than a week ago that repeatedly targeted the island and Russian efforts to secure the garrison there by missile and provide artillery fire.
The last Russian soldiers on the island, called Zmiinyi in Ukrainian, fled overnight on two speedboats, according to the Ukrainian army’s southern command.
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“There are no more Russians on Zmiinyi,” said Andrii Yermak, head of Ukraine’s presidential office. “The military has carried out an excellent operation.”
Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that it had called the withdrawal a “gesture of goodwill” that “would not allow Kiev to speculate on the impending food crisis,” as control of the island is essential to clear the shipping lanes. to secure the country. northwest corner of the Black Sea Russia’s de facto naval blockade prevented Ukraine from exporting most of its pre-war average monthly stock of five million tons of grain.
And despite the Russian statement, there was no indication that the Kremlin was prepared to allow safe passage of Ukrainian vessels leaving the port of Odessa.
Natalia Humeniuk, a spokeswoman for the Ukrainian army’s southern command, said on Tuesday that Ukraine had destroyed three anti-aircraft missile systems recently installed on the island. She said the most recent attack had left the radar station unusable, making it impossible to provide assistance to Russian troops on the island.
The fortress island has been a target for the Russians since the first day of the invasion, when Russia’s Black Sea flagship, the Moscow, arrived to command the surrender of the soldiers manning the small Ukrainian outpost. The soldiers’ salty refusal became a rallying cry for the nation.
The sinking of Moscow in April, one of Ukraine’s most celebrated victories of the war, increased the island’s importance to both Ukraine and Russia.
Russia has moved to bring powerful surface-to-air missile systems to the island to support its ground forces. The Russian navy also began operating further from the Ukrainian coast, beyond the reach of land-based missile missiles.
But the danger to Russian ships increased as more powerful Western anti-ship systems began arriving in late May. Around June 20, Ukrainian forces launched their renewed attack on the island and hit a Russian tugboat when it was on a mission to deliver weapons and personnel to the island.
The Ukrainians “almost certainly” used newly delivered Harpoon missiles in the attack, according to the British army, which said it was their first demonstrated use.
But the battle for the island continued. Satellite images released over the past week have shown results as seen from space — new large scars dotting the 46 acres of rock and grass rising from the sea.
Thursday morning, in the latest attack reported by the Ukrainian army, it said it used missiles and artillery to knock out another Russian anti-missile system. “Snake Island is covered with fire, explosions are heard,” the Ukrainian order said.
The last Russians there were seen getting on two boats and chasing away. But given its vulnerability, it was unclear whether the Ukrainians would try to restore their own garrison on Snake Island.