Russia withdraws troops from strategically important Snake Island

Russian troops have completed the tasks of the special operation on Snake Island. In this connection, as an act of good will, Moscow has decided to withdraw the garrison of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation from the island.

According to official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov, Russia has thus demonstrated to the world community that Moscow had no intention to stop the UN from arranging a humanitarian corridor for the export of agricultural products from Ukraine.

"This decision will not let Kyiv speculate on the topic of the impending food crisis and say that it is impossible to export grain due to Russia's total control of the northwestern part of the Black Sea," Igor Konashenkov said.

Snake Island has a strategically important geographical position. According to Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defense Yuri Shvytkin, the island is located approximately 35 kilometers off the coast of the Odessa region. It is also a little more than 100 kilometres far from Odessa.

"Not a single ship will be able to pass Snake Island unnoticed, whether it is Bulgarian, Romanian, Polish or any other ships. This sea route is controlled by the forces that are located on the island," Shvytkin said adding that that Snake Island is a good place to deploy air defense and electronic warfare equipment.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have repeatedly tried to take control of the island, but the Russian military did not give them such an opportunity.

Russia took control of Snake Island at the beginning of the special operation.

On February 24, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine announced that Kyiv had lost control of the island. Ukrainian President Zelensky claimed that the defenders of the island were killed. He presented them for awards posthumously.

Later, Russia reported that 82 fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine surrendered. The Ukrainian authorities later admitted that the statements about the death of the Ukrainian military on Snake Island were fake. Three days later Kyiv said that the military were alive.

On May 9, Konashenkov said that the Russian military had repulsed several attempts by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to seize the island. According to RIA Novosti, Zelensky personally gave the order to seize the island Island by May 9, despite the objections of the Ukrainian General Staff. The source of the agency also claimed that the attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was conceived by British security forces.

On June 21, the Russian Armed Forces repulsed the attack of 15 Ukrainian drones. An American Global Hawk RQ-4 drone was seen near Snake Island the same day. On June 26, the Ministry of Defense announced the destruction of a Ukrainian Su-25 attack aircraft and 12 rockets near the island.