Russia abandons Zmiinyi Island with Ukraine's victory

KYIV — Russian troops at a port in Ukraine Ukraine's victory, which could loosen the grip of Russia's blockade, abandoned Snake Island's strategic Black Sea outpost on Thursday.

Russia outcrops on the southwest coast of Ukraine to show that Moscow has not interfered with the UN's attempt to open a humanitarian corridor and has allowed the transportation of grain from Ukraine. He said he had decided to withdraw from.

Ukraine said it had expelled Russian troops overnight after being attacked by artillery and missiles.

"KABOOM". Andrey Jermac, Chief of Staff of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, tweeted. "There are no Russian troops on Snake Island anymore. Our troops have done a great job." Ukrainian officials explained the difficulties of Ukrainian troops in Lysychans'k city on Thursday.

Russian artillery fired from different directions while Russian troops were approaching from different sides, regional governor Serhiy Gaidai said on Ukrainian television.

"Because it is so dangerous, residents are told to stay in the underground shelter indefinitely," Guydai said.

Officials from the pro-Russian separatist regime in Luhansk told RIA Communications that the Lysychans'k oil refinery is now fully controlled by Russian and pro-Russian troops, as well as all roads to Lysychans'k. He said he was under their control. Ukraine says the main roads are almost impassable due to combat, but the city is not yet completely blocked.

Russian firepower

Russian troops last week on the other side of the Siverskyi Donets River after several weeks of fierce fighting. Since the occupation, I have been trying to siege Lysychansik. ..

Russia has focused its firepower on occupying cities and towns in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on the Russian border.

Despite giving up ground in Donbus for the past few weeks and suffering punishable losses, Ukraine hopes to do enough damage to exhaust Russia's advancing troops. .. Ukrainian troops have launched a counterattack in the southern part of the region.

Gaidai mentioned Russia's overwhelming superiority of equipment and artillery in the battle of Lysychans'k. Western allies in Ukraine are sending weapons, and the Kieu government has been further boosted by providing the United States with an additional $ 800 million in weapons and military aid.

In a statement after the NATO summit in Madrid, US President Joe Biden united Washington and his allies to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin. Said.

"I don't know how it will end, but it won't end with Russia defeating Ukraine," Biden said at a press conference. "We will support Ukraine as much as necessary."

When Putin visited Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) on Thursday, one of SVR's main missions was Russia. He said it was to obtain timely information on foreign military and geo-strategic plans that could threaten Russia. agency.

Smoke and fire

Snake Island was retaken to Ukraine a few weeks after the momentum of the conflict four months ago seemed to shift in favor of Russia. ..

The Ukrainian army has posted an image on Facebook that looks like an island from the sky, with a sequence of black smoke on it.

"The enemy rushed to evacuate the wreckage of the garrison with two speedboats and probably left the island. Now Snake Island is being consumed by a fire and the explosion is exploding." Said.

Brigadier General Oleksii Hromov said Ukrainian troops have not yet occupied the island, but will.

The rocky outcrops overlook the sea lanes to Odesa, Ukraine's main Black Sea port. Here, Russia is blocking food cargo from the world's leading grain suppliers.

After Russia occupied the island on the first day of the war, it attracted the attention of the world. Ukrainian guards ordered to surrender by Russian flagship cruiser Moskva said, "Russian warship, go on your own."

It was a great goal. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has accused Russia of deliberately causing world hunger as "blackmail."

Moscow has denied the blockade of the port and accused food shortages of western sanctions stating that it would limit its exports.

"We do not prevent Ukrainian grain exports. Ukrainian troops have mined an approach to their port. No one has prevented them from clearing those mines, We guarantee the safety of transporting grain from there, "Putin said Thursday.

Some military experts have stated that driving Russians from Snake Island is not enough to lift the blockade of the harbor.

"Does that mean a sudden stream of grain? No, it's not," said Marcus Faulkner, a lecturer in war studies at King's College London.

Russia has been defending the island since February, despite allegations that Ukraine caused serious damage, sank supply vessels and destroyed a Russian fortress.

New weapons sent from the West made the Russian garrison even more vulnerable. In particular is HIMARS, a US-supplied rocket system that Ukraine launched last week. Russia's abandonment of the island "is likely a concrete result of NATO's delivery of weapons to Ukraine," said Rob Li, a US-based foreign policy institute.