Fight continues between Russian, Ukrainian forces at Snake Island

May 11 (Reuters) – Fighting between Russia and Ukrainian forces has continued on Zmiinyi Island, also known as Snake Island, with Russia repeatedly trying to reinforce its exposed troops.

“If Russia consolidates its position on Zmiinyi Island with strategic air defence and coastal defence cruise missiles, they could dominate the north-western Black Sea,” the UK Ministry of Defence tweeted in a regular bulletin.

Russia’s resupply vessels have minimum protection in the western Black Sea, following the Russian Navy’s retreat to Crimea after the loss of the Moskva, the tweet said.

Russia’s defence ministry on Tuesday said it had repelled Ukrainian efforts to reclaim Snake Island in the Black Sea and had inflicted heavy losses in terms of men, vessels and aircraft in doing so.

It was not possible to independently verify the claims. Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said earlier on Tuesday in a YouTube interview that Ukraine was not trying to recapture Snake (Zmiinyi) Island as it was far easier to continue hitting Russian targets there.

The island, a small outcrop in the Black Sea, was the setting for one of the landmark exchanges between Ukrainian and Russian forces at the start of the war in late February when Ukrainian border guards told a Russian warship to “go fuck yourself” after it demanded they surrender.

Russia said Ukrainian forces had attempted to retake the island on May 8, the eve of Russia’s Victory Day anniversary celebrations over Nazi Germany in World War Two.

“This adventure ended in disaster for Ukraine,” said Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.