According to the British media Reuters , the last time Europeans had an impression of the place name Snake Island was at the end of February. At that time, Russia’s military operation had just begun, and Russia quickly dispatched warships to block the port of Odessa and the southeastern coast of Ukraine. . According to Ukrainian media reports, this small island hanging alone in the Black Sea was besieged by the Russian army. Russia called on the Ukrainian defenders on the island to surrender through the radio, but was rejected. The "cruel attack" launched by Russia finally All the defenders of Shedao were killed in the battle, and no one surrendered. This incident was regarded as a propaganda of Ukraine's resistance spirit. It has moved many European people and called on them to donate and support their compassion for Ukraine.
Later, the so-called "13 Warriors" incident was reported to be an error. After the Russian media traced it, it was confirmed that all the soldiers on the island were captured by the Russian army. They were taken to Sevann Castle in Crimea and the captured soldiers were released. The interview ended with Ukraine admitting that the incident was a "misunderstanding" caused by the loss of contact. The Russian army immediately occupied Snake Island and built defensive positions on the island. Ukraine also continued to shell the island and bombed it with missiles . After more than four months of this, on the 30th, the Russian Ministry of Defense suddenly issued a text message saying that they would voluntarily withdraw from Snake Island "out of goodwill" to show that Russia would not hinder the transport of agricultural products established by the United Nations. Passage out of Ukraine.
At the same time that Russia announced its withdrawal from Snake Island, Ukraine immediately declared victory. Ukrainian President Zelenskiy said that recapturing Snake Island "has greatly changed the situation in the Black Sea" and that Ukraine will fight to the end to "drive them out of our oceans, our land and our skies." Ukrainian news agencies and German media also said , this marks a phased victory for Ukraine. Strategically, Ukraine has achieved the fact of regaining territory and driving away the Russian army. British Prime Minister Johnson also announced at the NATO summit that Russia had to give up its position again, which showed Ukraine's "amazing counterattack capabilities."
The British military also stated that Russia's withdrawal from Snake Island may have been deterred by the "Harpoon" missile, which was used by Ukraine when bombarding Snake Island; while the US foreign policy department celebrated Russia's failure as "NATO A tangible result of the supply of weapons to Ukraine", which is a major setback for the Russian military. While Western countries are celebrating their victory, Russia has captured part of Lisichansk. Currently, the Ukrainian defenders in Lugansk only control less than 1% of the land, and the situation is already precarious; the Russian army is attacking in the west. and the retreat from Shedao seem to mean that their strategic priorities have changed.
It is worth mentioning that the views of the American media " New York Times " are different from the mainstream "cheering" voices. They said that Snake Island has no value except as a base for Black Sea operations, and it is far away from the Russian military supply station. There is currently no sign that Ukrainian ships can pass through Odessa Port . Russia also has the ability to block the sea area, so this The 18-hectare island determines nothing. Some commentators pointed out that when the Ukrainian garrison in the east is retreating steadily, the West needs news to inspire military morale. Even if this island is abandoned by Russia on its own initiative, it can be regarded as a "milestone victory" by them.
