Ukraine says the Ukrainian Armed Forces have raised the country’s flag over Snake Island, after forcing a Russian withdrawal from the strategically important territory, a spokeswoman for the military’s Southern Command, 1st Captain Natalia Humeniuk said a briefing on Monday.
Some background: Known as Zmiinyi Ostriv in Ukrainian, Snake Island lies around 30 miles (48 kilometers) off the coast of Ukraine and is close to the sea lanes leading to the Bosphorus and Mediterranean.
Russian troops left Snake Island in the Black Sea, the Ukrainian Armed Forces said last week, after they carried out what they said was a “successful” operation.
The small but strategic territory was the scene of one of the opening salvos of the war in Ukraine, with demands from a Russian warship calling for the Ukrainian defenders to surrender, who boldly replied with “Russian warship, go f*** yourself.”
“The flag of Ukraine was installed on the island … the operation was completed, the island was returned to the jurisdiction of Ukraine,” Humeniuk said Monday, without providing any additional detail.
Snake Island which was one of the first scenes of a fierce showdown in the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February had become a symbol of resistance followoing an exchange between a Ukranian Serviceman and the now sunk Russian Black Sea Fleet Flagship, The Moskva, where he said Russian Ship Fuck off.
It had been under Russian occupation since a few days after but the Ukranians have never let up in pressurising the Russian occupation culminating in the withdrawal over the Weekend.
The enclave has also come under attack allegedly from Russina Tupolev Tu Bombers dropping Phosphorus bombs on Saturday in two overflights.
This victory for the Ukrainians is both strategic and Symbolic after several days of bad news especially on the Eastern region of Luhansk which is now under complete Russian control.
