ISW: Russian defeat on Snake Island to alleviate some pressure off Ukrainian coast

Russian forces retreated from the Snake Island (Zmiinyi) on June 30 following a Ukrainian missile and artillery campaign. The Russian Defense Ministry spun the retreat as “a step of goodwill.”

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the Kremlin does not interfere with United Nations (UN) efforts to organize a humanitarian corridor for agricultural export from Ukraine but did not acknowledge the Ukrainian artillery and missile campaign that had actually caused the retreat.

The Russian defeat on the Snake Island will alleviate some pressure off the Ukrainian coast by removing Russian air defence and anti-ship missile systems from the island, the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on June 30.

The retreat itself will not end the sea blockade, however, as Russian forces have access to land-based anti-ship systems in Crimea and western Kherson Oblast that can still target Ukrainian cargo as well as the use of the remaining ships of the Black Sea Fleet.

Russian military bloggers overwhelmingly defended the Russian decision to withdraw troops and equipment from the island, claiming that Russian forces are prioritizing the “liberation of Donbas.”

Some said that Russian forces do not have enough capacity to destroy Ukrainian coastal troops and others claimed that Russian forces will be more successful in striking Ukrainians when they attempt to deploy their own troops to the island.

Military bloggers have previously criticized the Russian military command for failing to retreat to save equipment and manpower and are likely content with the Russian retreat from the Snake Island.