Russia quits Snake Island
Tags: International News
Ukrainian forces have taken control of Snake Island in the Black Sea, which was occupied by Russia at the beginning of the war.
The quitting of the Russians from the island is a major setback, and possibly undermines their control over shipping routes that are vital to Moscow's strategic objectives.
Last week Ukraine said it had inflicted "significant damage" on Russia in air strikes on the island.
Ukraine had claimed the first successful use of Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
About Snake Island
It is also known as Zmiinyi Island, Snake or Serpent Island.
It has a small piece of rock less than 700 metres from, that has been described as being “X-shaped”.
It is located 35 km from the coast in the Black Sea.
The island is marked on the map as a small village and belongs to Ukraine.
The island is close to the coast of Romania, with which Ukraine has had a dispute and which was settled in 2009 by the International Court of Justice.
It drew a new maritime border between the two countries.
Parts of the Black Sea around Snake Island are believed to have significant oil and gas reserves.
On 24 February, Russia invaded Ukraine and attacked Snack Island with two modern warships.
About Black Sea
It is a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean.
It is located between Eastern Europe and Western Asia.
It is bound by Ukraine to the north and northwest, Russia and Georgia to the east, Turkey to the south, and Bulgaria and Romania to the west.
The Black Sea drains into the Mediterranean Sea via the Turkish Straits and the Aegean Sea.
It has traditionally been Russia’s warm water gateway to Europe.
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