War on Ukraine: Russia withdraws from Snake Island

At the end of February, Russian troops conquered the strategically important Snake Island – now they are withdrawing from it. Moscow speaks of a “gesture of good will”. Ukraine, on the other hand, reports attacking the island.

Russian troops withdraw from previously conquered Snake Island in the Black Sea. The Defense Ministry in Moscow described the move as a “gesture of goodwill”. With this, Russia wants to show that it does not hinder the export of grain and agricultural products from Ukraine, said ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.

Ukraine, on the other hand, had previously reported an attack on the island. “Kaboom! No more Russian troops on Snake Island. Our armed forces did a great job,” Ukrainian Presidential Chief Andriy Yermak wrote on Twitter.

Island conquered at the beginning of the war

The island south of the Ukrainian port city of Odessa is considered strategically important. After the Russian invasion at the end of February, it was captured by the Russian Navy on the second day of the war. Since then, the Ukrainian armed forces have repeatedly carried out attacks with combat drones and aircraft and sank the cruiser Moskva (Moscow) with rockets.

Russia is accused of blocking Ukrainian ports and thus hampering grain exports. In some areas of the world there is therefore a risk of the hunger crisis escalating further.

Ongoing fighting for Lysychansk

Meanwhile, heavy fighting for the strategically important city of Lysychansk is continuing in eastern Ukraine, according to information from Kyiv. The Ukrainian general staff said in its situation report that the enemy was trying to blockade the city with the support of artillery. There are attacks around the city’s oil refinery: “The fighting continues,” according to the general staff.

The representative of the Luhansk separatists in Moscow, Rodion Miroshnik, wrote on Telegram that the area around the plant is under its own control. The military in Kyiv accused Russia of also shelling civilian infrastructure.

Russian troops are already on the outskirts

According to the separatists, troops loyal to the government are withdrawing in a north-westerly direction. In the Luhansk region, Ukrainian troops now only control Lysychansk. However, Russian soldiers have already advanced to the outskirts of the city. The General Staff said the fighting was going on in the settlements west of the city. In addition, Russian troops continued to try to control an important road between Lysychansk and the city of Bakhmut further west.

According to the Ukrainian military, there were attacks northeast of Bakhmut. Further south, Ukrainian troops managed to stop the Russian offensive. “Significant losses” were inflicted on the occupiers. No further details were given. There were also fights in the Donetsk region in the east. Around the city of Kharkiv in the north-east, the “enemy is defending previously occupied positions”.

Zelenskyj: “The situation in the east is very difficult”

President Volodymyr Zelenskyj also described the situation in the east of the country as very difficult. “We are doing everything we can to equip our military with modern artillery systems and to respond appropriately to the occupiers,” said Zelenskyy in his daily video address. The previous pressure on Russia is not enough. Zelenskyy pointed out that ten Russian rockets were fired at the Ukrainian city of Mikolajiv on Wednesday alone. “And all were aimed at civilian targets.”

More than four months after the start of the war of aggression, Russia’s President Putin again emphasized that the fighting was going according to plan: “The work is going quietly, rhythmically, the troops are moving and are reaching the lines that were given to them as milestones,” he told journalists in the Turkmen capital of Ashgabat. “Everything is going according to plan,” emphasized the Kremlin boss.