Russian forces have scored a major victory for Ukraine by abandoning the Serpent Island strategic outpost in the Black Sea on Thursday, which could ease a Russian grain export blockade that threatens to exacerbate world hunger.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Moscow had decided to withdraw as a “goodwill gesture”, showing that it did not stand in the way of United Nations (UN) efforts to open a humanitarian corridor that would allow grain shipments from Ukrainian ports.
Ukraine said it had expelled Russian forces after a massive artillery and night attack.
Andriy Yermak, chief of staff of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said on Twitter, “There are no more Russian soldiers on Snake Island. Our Armed Forces have done a great job.”
Ukraine’s southern military command posted on Facebook an image of the island, seen from the air, with at least five large columns of black smoke rising in what it described as a missile and artillery strike.
“The enemy hastily with two speedboats withdrew the rest of the garrison and possibly left the island. Currently, Snake Island is consumed by fire and explosions.”
Reuters was unable to immediately confirm the photo or battlefield accounts from either side.
The rocky ledge controls shipping routes to Odessa, Ukraine’s main Black Sea port, where Russia’s blockade has hampered the export of grain from one of the world’s top suppliers, creating a risk of global famine, price inflation and famine.
When Russia captured the island on the first day of the war, a Ukrainian guard there ordered the surrender of the Russian cruiser Moskva, radioed “Russian warship: go f.”
This event was immortalized on a Ukrainian postage stamp. On the day of the seal, Ukraine sank the flagship of the Russian Black Sea fleet.
Last month, the British Ministry of Defense said it could dominate the northwestern Black Sea if Russia consolidates its dominance of Serpent Island with coastal defense cruise missiles and air defense.
Russia has been defending the island since February, despite increasingly claiming that Ukraine caused serious damage, sank supply ships and destroyed Russian fortifications.
The island is within range of the Himars withdrawn from the Ukrainian mainland. Ukraine has started to field a powerful new rocket system sent by the US last week.
“Ukraine’s acquisition of Harpoon and Himars anti-ship missiles puts Russian forces on the island at increased risk,” Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the US Foreign Policy Research Institute, said on Twitter.
“The most important aspect is that this can open the door for Ukrainian grain exports from Odessa, which is very important for the Ukrainian economy and the global food supply.”
source: Noticias
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