Russia gives up Ukraine’s Snake Island in a major strategic blow for Vladimir Putin

In a major blow to Vladimir Putin, Russia has withdrawn from the strategically-important Snake Island, cedeing control to Ukraine.

Russia has announced its leaving Ukraine’s Snake Island in a major setback for Vladimir Putin.

The island, 120km from Ukraine’s southern coast in the Black Sea, is in a key strategic position.

Russia said it had pulled its forces from Snake Island as a “goodwill gesture” to allow Kyiv to export agricultural products.

“On June 30, as a gesture of goodwill, the Russian armed forces completed their tasks on Snake Island and withdrew a garrison stationed there,” the defence ministry said in a statement.

Russian troops have abandoned their positions on a captured Ukrainian island, a major setback to their invasion effort. Picture: AFP/Maxar Technologies

The announcement came after Ukraine had launched several raids on Russians forces on the island.

Ukraine says Russia is still shelling its grain stores.

Ukrainian officials reacted to the news early on Thursday local time.

“I thank the defenders of Odessa region who took maximum measures to liberate a strategically important part of our territory,” Valeriy Zaluzhny, the Ukraine military’s commander-in-chief, said on Telegram.

“Unable to withstand the fire of our artillery, missile and air strikes, the occupiers left Snake Island.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with media. (Photo by Dmitry AZAROV / SPUTNIK / AFP)

“So, in order for Russia to show its goodwill, we have to beat it up regularly,” Ukrainian presidential aide Mikhaylo Podolyak said on Twitter.

The Russian defence ministry said the withdrawal was aimed at demonstrating the world that “Russia is not impeding UN efforts to organise a humanitarian corridor to ship agricultural products from Ukraine”.

Moscow added that the “ball is now in Ukraine’s court”, accusing the pro-Western country of having still not de-mined its Black Sea coast.

“KABOOM! No Russian troops on Snake Island anymore. Our Armed Forces did a great job,” Ukrainian presidential aide Andryi Yermak said on Twitter.

Ukraine’s southern military command wrote on Facebook that during the night Russia “hurriedly evacuated the remains of its garrison” from the island following “strikes by our missile and artillery units”.

Russia has announced it is pulling its forces from Ukraine's Snake Island, calling it a "goodwill gesture" to allow Kyiv to export agricultural products.

It said the island is “covered in fire, explosions are erupting”, posting a dimmed photo of what appears to be the island with billowing clouds of smoke.

Ukraine has accused Russia of stealing its grain, contributing to a global food shortage caused by grain exports blocked in Ukrainian ports.

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 in rebuffing a demand by a Russian warship to surrender.