Ukraine's Zelenskiy says Black Sea outpost of Snake Island 'free' for now
Ukraine’s President Zelenskiy said on Thursday that Snake Island was free, but said there was no guarantee "that the enemy will not come back” to the strategic Black Sea outpost.
Ukraine’s control of Snake Island, or Zmiinyi island, could loosen the grip of Russia's blockade on Ukrainian ports.
Snake Island captured world attention after Russia seized it on the war's first day. A Ukrainian guard, ordered by Russia's flagship cruiser Moskva to surrender, radioed back "Russian warship: go fuck yourself."
Russia said it had decided to withdraw from the outcrop off Ukraine's southwestern coast as a "gesture of goodwill" to show Moscow was not obstructing U.N. attempts to open a humanitarian corridor allowing grains to be shipped from Ukraine.
Zelenskiy described the situation in Donbas as ‘the harshest.’ Russia has focused its firepower on capturing cities and towns in the Donbas region, which comprises Donetsk and Luhansk provinces on the border with Russia.