Invading Russian troops were forced to flee the strategic Black Sea outpost of Snake Island on speedboats Thursday, in a major victory for Ukraine.
Snake Island, which Russia seized on the first day of its invasion, made international headlines after Ukrainian border guards stationed there told an invading Russian warship to “go f–k yourself.”
“KABOOM! No Russian troops on the Snake Island anymore. Our Armed Forces did a great job,” Andriy Yermak, head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office, tweeted.
Smoke billowed from Snake Island Thursday after Ukrainian troops said it had forced Russian soldiers to flee. via REUTERS
Ukrainian soldier Roman Gribov, who was captured by Russian troops on Snake Island and exchanged in a POW swap, receives an award. REUTERSUkraine’s southern military command insisted that Russian forces had evacuated from Snake Island — also known as Zmiinyi Island — in two speedboats following a sustained Ukrainian operation involving missile and artillery units.
Russia’s defense ministry also confirmed that Russian troops had withdrawn from the Black Sea outpost — but claimed it was a “goodwill gesture” because troops had fulfilled their assigned tasks.
Snake Island — a strategic outpost in the Black Sea — had been occupied by Russian troops since the early hours of the invasion. via REUTERS
Map of Ukraine and Snake Island.
Snake island gained notoriety for an exchange between Ukrainian soldiers and a Russian warship where the soldiers said “Russian warship go f–k yourself!” Russian Defence Ministry/TASSThe Russian ministry added that the move showed Russia wasn’t impeding United Nation efforts to organize a humanitarian corridor to export grain and agriculture out of Ukraine.
Neither country’s account of what happened could immediately be verified.
It comes after Ukraine’s southern military command revealed last week it had dealt a “significant” blow to Russian troops by destroying the Kremlin’s air defenses and radar systems on the island.
But Russian authorities dismissed those claims, insisting that its air defenses on the island had repelled Ukrainian forces.
Ukrainian forces fire missiles at a Russian ship located by Snake Island in May as part of a string of sustained attacks to reclaim the post from Russia. via REUTERS
Ukrainian search-and-rescue servicemen Andrey Afanasenko and Sergiy Dubin were among those captured — and later released — by Russian troops when they invaded Snake Island. EPASnake Island — a strategic outpost on just 40 acres of rock — gained notoriety in the opening hours of the war on Feb. 24 when an audio clip emerged of the exchange between Ukrainian and Russian forces.
“This is a Russian warship,” an unidentified voice could be heard saying. “I propose you lay down your weapons and surrender to avoid bloodshed and unnecessary victims. Otherwise you will be bombed.”
“Russian warship, go f–k yourself,” the Ukrainians replied — which quickly became a battle cry for Ukrainian troops.
With Post wires
