Image taken by Maxar Technologies on Sunday shows damage to some buildings by Russian military strikes, as well as a Russian naval vessel anchored in the Black Sea. This supports reports from the beginning of the Russian offensive that the Ukrainian garrison rejected demands for Russian surrender after the attack on the island.
According to the Ukrainian Navy, the garrison on the island repulsed two attacks by Russian forces, but was eventually forced to surrender “due to lack of ammunition”.
A Ukrainian statement said Russian bombers destroyed the island’s infrastructure, including lighthouses, towers and antennas – some damage that can now be seen in new satellite photos.
In the image, some buildings with red roofs in the center of the island are shown significantly damaged by Russian shelling. Although some parts of the island are covered with ice, impact craters can be seen on the island.
The ship seen offshore was identified by Maxar as a Ropucha-class landing ship.
Snake Island, also known as Land Island, is about 30 miles (48 km) off the southern tip of the Ukrainian mainland in the northwestern Black Sea. It is about 185 miles west of Crimea, the Ukrainian territory that Russia annexed in 2014.
The Atlantic Council’s report said that, highlighting its strategic importance, Zelensky chose Snake Island for an interview with Ukrainian media last year, ahead of a summit that Russia sought to annex Crimea. had tried. May go
CNN’s Brad Lendon, Sebastian Shukla and Liane Kolyrin contributed to this report.