News from the Black Sea came as NATO leaders wrapped up their summit in Madrid, intending to demonstrate their unity and determination to support Kyiv with advanced weapons in the face of an attack from Moscow.
Snake Island became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance in the first days of the war, when defenders of the Rocky Outcrop told a Russian warship that they were called to surrender to “go f*ck yourself”, an incident that led to an outrage. Inspired meme.
It was also a strategic goal, separating shipping lanes near Ukraine’s Odessa port. Russia attempted to install missile and air defense batteries during drone fire.
Now, however, Ukraine has begun to receive long-range missiles and military gear from its Western backers, and the Russian position on Snake Island has become untenable.
“In the end, it will prove impossible for (President Vladimir) Putin to stop a country that will not accept his rule,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, stressing that any peace agreement would be on Ukraine’s terms. .
“We’ve seen what Ukraine can do to drive the Russians back. We’ve seen what they did around Kyiv and Kharkiv, which is now on Snake Island.”
‘strategically important’
The statement from the Russian Defense Ministry described the retreat as “a gesture of goodwill”, which meant that Moscow would not interfere with UN efforts to organize protected grain exports from Ukraine.
But Kyiv claimed it as a victory.
“They always underestimate their defeat like this,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba said on Twitter.
“I thank the defenders of the Odessa region, who took maximum measures to liberate a strategically important part of our territory,” Valery Zaluzhny, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Army, said on Telegram.
In peacetime, Ukraine is a major agricultural exporter, but Russia’s invasion has damaged agricultural lands and seized, demolished or blocked Ukraine’s ports – with famine threatening grain importers in Africa.
Western powers have accused Putin of using the cropped crop as a weapon to increase pressure on the international community, and Russia has been accused of stealing grain.
A regional leader appointed by Russian occupation forces said a ship carrying 7,000 tonnes of grain departed the Ukrainian port of Burdiansk on Thursday.
The head of the pro-Moscow administration, Evgeny Balitsky, said Russia’s Black Sea ships were “ensuring the safety” of the voyage, adding that the port had been de-mine.
‘direct threat’
Separately, the Russian Defense Ministry said its forces were holding more than 6,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war who have been captured since the February 24 offensive.
The conflict in Ukraine dominated the NATO summit in Madrid, where leaders said Russia “poses the most significant and direct threat to the security of allies and to peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic region”.
This happened after NATO officially invited Sweden and Finland to join the alliance, and US President Joe Biden announced new deployments of American troops, ships and aircraft to Europe.
Biden said the US move was precisely what Russian President Putin “did not want” – and Moscow, facing fierce resistance from Western-armed Ukrainian forces, reacted with predictable fury.
Putin told reporters in Turkmenistan capital Ashgabat on the alliance that he is trying to claim his “dominance”, Ukraine and its people are “an instrument” for NATO to “protect its interests”.
“The leaders of NATO countries want to assert their supremacy, their imperialist ambitions,” Putin said.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed Putin’s comments as “ridiculous” and said the Russian leader had “made imperialism the goal of his politics”.
NATO leaders have sent weapons worth billions to Ukraine and faced renewed appeals from President Volodymyr Zelensky for more long-range artillery.
“Ukraine can count on us as long as it remains focused on the threat to Moscow,” NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said at the summit that ends on Thursday.
‘clear sight’
The document, updated for the first time since 2010, warned the coalition “cannot be exempted from the possibility” of attacks on its members.
Kuleba welcomed NATO’s “clear stance on Russia”.
Russian missiles continue to rain across Ukraine.
Emergency services said rescue workers found the bodies of six civilians killed in the rubble of a destroyed building in the southern city of Mykolaiv.
The city of Lisichansk in the eastern Donbass region – the current focus of Russia’s offensive – is also facing continued bombardment.
The regional governor of Lugansk, which includes the city, Sergei Gede, said on Telegram: “The Russians are throwing almost all their resources into capturing Lisichansk.”
“It’s hard to find a safe place in the city.”
The UN humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine said on Thursday that 16 million Ukrainians are in need of humanitarian aid.
Theater Strike ‘War Crime’
The invasion of Moscow triggered massive economic sanctions and a wave of support for Zelensky’s government, including the delivery of advanced weapons, as well as reinforcements of Europe’s defense.
Washington has announced that it will move the headquarters of its 5th Army Corps to Poland.
One army brigade will go to Romania and two squadrons of F-35 fighters will go to Britain, air defense systems will be sent to Germany and Italy, and the number of the US Navy destroyer fleet in Spain will increase from four to six.
Britain on Wednesday pledged $1.2 billion in military aid to Ukraine, including air defense systems and drones.