A T-shirt, worn at a rally in Berlin this month in support of European aid to Ukraine, to commemorate Ukrainian soldiers on Snake Island who refused to surrender to Russian naval forces.
Sean Gallup / Getty Images
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Sean Gallup / Getty Images
A T-shirt, worn at a rally in Berlin this month in support of European aid to Ukraine, to commemorate Ukrainian soldiers on Snake Island who refused to surrender to Russian naval forces.
Sean Gallup / Getty Images
KYIV, Ukraine – Russia says it has evacuated its troops stationed on Snake Island, a Ukrainian outpost on the Black Sea that was invaded by Russia in late February.
Snake Island, also known as Zmiinyi Island, is a strategic outpost off the southern coast of Ukraine that played a heroic role in Ukraine’s war against Russia after Ukrainian soldiers refused to surrender the island during the war. battle in February.
Ukraine’s southern forces have attacked the island to destroy Russian outposts in recent days. The Russian Defense Ministry said it left the island as a “gesture of goodwill”.
Russian forces left after Ukraine said they bombarded the island overnight with artillery.
Valery Zaluzhny, head of the armed forces of Ukraine, said: “Unable to withstand the fire of our artillery, missiles and air strikes, the occupiers left Snake Island.” said in a video speech On Facebook.
Russia’s withdrawal from Snake Island is a strategic victory for Ukraine and a boost to morale as resources dry up in the east, where Russia is trying to capture more territory.
Russia has managed to blockade important ports in the Black Sea of Ukraine, prevent important foods including cereals from being exported. Ukraine’s control of Snake Island provides an opportunity for Ukraine’s armed forces to disrupt Russian shipping lanes in the Black Sea and weaken Russia’s hold on the southern Ukrainian mainland.
The island was initially occupied by Russia in late February in an internationally known battle when Ukrainian soldiers refused to surrender despite calls from the Russian warship, the Moskva, to lay down their weapons.
A soundbite in which they say to Moscow, “Russian warship, go by yourself!” spread after being publicly shared by a Ukrainian government spokesman. Moscow sunk by Ukrainian forces in April.
Ukrainian soldiers stationed on Snake Island were briefly detained under Russian occupation but has been liberated in March as part of a prisoner swap.
