The Ukrainian military claimed that it bombed Russian positions on the Black Sea Snake Island, which has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance since the start of the invasion by Russian forces on February 24.
• Read also: “Go fu ** yourself”: Ukrainian soldier dies refusing to surrender
• Read also: “The Russian boat will follow you”: a Ukrainian stamp symbolizing this “victory”
The Southern Command of the Ukrainian Army posted on Facebook on Tuesday evening, claiming that it had struck a “checkpoint” and destroyed an anti-aircraft system, “Our forces carried out strikes on enemy positions on Snake Island.” “The losses of the Russians are clear,” he added.
Russia has not confirmed any fires on the island, which it seized shortly after it began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
This small island in the Black Sea has become an icon in Ukraine since a radio exchange went viral on social networks, in which Ukrainian border guards on the first day of the conflict shouted “Damn you, Russian military ship!” to the Russian cruiser, Moskva, who ordered them to surrender.
Shortly after this exchange, the ship bombed the island and the Ukrainian soldiers were captured. Kyiv reported that they were later released in a prisoner exchange.
The recording of this verbal exchange was a leitmotif of the Ukrainian resistance, and the oppression of the border guards even appeared on banners during demonstrations of support abroad, and on Ukrainian stamps.
The cruiser Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, sank in mid-April after being hit by Ukrainian missiles, according to Kyiv. Moscow, for its part, claimed that it was damaged by an explosion on board.
