On Thursday last week, Russian forces stepped back from the strategic Black Sea outpost of Snake Island, opening up a major sea lane for Ukraine to export grain, which was earlier blocked.
Russia’s Defence Ministry announced that they decided to withdraw from the outcrop as a “gesture of goodwill” that showed Moscow was not obstructing U.N. efforts to open a humanitarian corridor allowing grains to be shipped from Ukraine’s ports. Ukraine said it had driven the Russian forces out after a massive artillery and assault overnight.
Ukraine’s southern military command posted an image on Facebook of what appeared to be the island, seen from the air, with at least five huge columns of black smoke rising above it from what it described as an assault by missiles and artillery.
“The enemy hurriedly evacuated the remains of the garrison with two speed boats and probably left the island. Currently, Snake island is consumed by fire, explosions are bursting.” The bare rocky outcrop (sits near the entrance to the Danube River) controls sea lanes to Odesa, Ukraine’s main Black Sea port, where Russia’s blockade has prevented grain exports from one of the world’s main suppliers, creating a global shortage, price inflation and risk of famine.
