KYIV, Ukraine, July  7, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - The Ukrainian army said Thursday
it had regained control of the symbolic Snake Island in the Black Sea, after
raising its flag there this week following the withdrawal of Russian forces.
"We have effectively reestablished our control over Snake Island," a senior
Ukraine military official, Oleksiy Gromov, said according to Ukraine's Interfax
news agency.

Ukrainian forces have "physical control" of the island, he said.

Troops that participated in the operation have however redeployed to their
garrisons, Gromov said, without specifying whether Ukraine was maintaining a
military presence there.

The Russian defence ministry meanwhile said it had carried out "precision"
missile strikes on the island early Thursday, killing Ukrainian soldiers and
forcing survivors to flee.

Kyiv said earlier this week that the Ukrainian flag was placed again on
Snake Island, territory seized by Russia in the initial stages of the invasion.

Snake Island became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance after a radio exchange
went viral at the start of the war, in which Ukrainian soldiers used an
expletive to rebuff a Russian warship's demand to surrender.

Ukraine forced Russian troops from Snake Island last week after a spate of
heavy bombardments.

The Russian military said it had withdrawn "as a sign of goodwill."