Kyiv, June 30 (Reuters) – Russian forces left the strategic Black Sea outpost on Snake Island on Thursday in a major victory for Ukraine that could loosen a Russian blockade on threatening grain exports of worsening world hunger.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had decided to withdraw from the outcrop as a “gesture of goodwill” that showed Moscow was not obstructing UN efforts to open a humanitarian corridor that would allow the sending of large from Ukrainian ports.
Ukraine said it had expelled Russian forces after a massive artillery attack and an overnight assault.
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“KABOOM!” tweeted Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. “There are no more Russian troops on Snake Island. Our armed forces did a great job.”
The military command of southern Ukraine posted a picture on Facebook of what appeared to be the island, seen from the air, with at least five huge columns of black smoke rising above what it described as an assault. of missiles and artillery.
“The enemy hastily evacuated the remains of the garrison with two speedboats and probably left the island. Currently, the snake island is consumed by fire, the explosions are exploding.”
Reuters was unable to immediately verify the photo or battlefield accounts of either side.
The bare rocky outcrop controls the sea routes to Odessa, Ukraine’s main port on the Black Sea, where the Russian blockade has prevented grain exports from one of the world’s leading suppliers, creating global shortages, price inflation and risk of starvation.
Russia captured the island on the first day of the war, when a Ukrainian guard there, with the order of the Russian cruiser Moskva to surrender, responded by radio “Russian warship: go to shit.”
That incident was immortalized on a Ukrainian postage stamp. On the day the seal was issued, Ukraine sank the ship, the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
Last month, the British Defense Ministry said that if Russia were able to consolidate its control on Snake Island with air defense and coastal defense cruise missiles, it could dominate the northwestern Black Sea. Read more
Russia had defended the island since February, although Ukraine increasingly claimed to have caused severe damage, sinking supply ships and destroying Russian fortifications.
The island is within reach of HIMARS fired from the Ukrainian mainland. Last week, Ukraine began deploying the powerful new rocket system sent by the United States.
“Ukraine’s reception of anti-missile Harpoon and HIMARS missiles put Russian forces on the island at risk,” Rob Lee, a senior member of the U.S. Foreign Policy Research Institute, wrote on Twitter.
“The most significant aspect is that this could open the door to Ukrainian grain exports from Odessa, which is fundamental to the Ukrainian economy and to the global food supply.”
The head of the Ukrainian armed forces said Ukrainian-made shells firing on the island had played an important role in keeping the Russians away, but he also thanked support from foreign countries.
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Reuters Office Report Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel
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