Snake Island: why ‘speck of land’ in Black Sea is so important
Tiny Black Sea outpost could hold key to avoiding global food shortage
Just hours into the invasion of Ukraine, Russian troops on the flagship Moskva were memorably told to “go f*** yourself” by a determined Ukrainian voice on Snake Island.
Four months on, the “seemingly insignificant, rocky outcrop in the Black Sea” has earned “near-mythical status as a symbol of Ukrainian resistance”, The Telegraph said, gaining “new significance” as a “key to unlocking the looming global food shortage”.
The “unremarkable” 17-hectare rock, nearly 30 miles from the coasts of Ukraine and Romania, has become a “battleground of strategic value”, the BBC reported.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Having lost the territory in the first days of the war, Ukraine has been unable to retake it, but this week it claimed a “significant” blow to Vladimir Putin’s forces on the island.
Key position
It might be just a “speck of land”, but Snake Island’s position makes it “critical to efforts to control the Black Sea”, said The New York Times.
The ongoing control of the island has helped the Russian forces “completely cut off exports from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports”, The Telegraph said. “Grain is exported across the sea to Turkey and Georgia, feeding much of the Middle East,” it added. “Ports such as Odesa also help feed the world through the Bosphorus Strait, the gateway to global markets
Militarily, the Russians’ “foothold on the island has also given Moscow an advantage in the battle for the skies above Ukraine”, said the paper.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
“Think of it as an unsinkable destroyer,” Andy Netherwood, an air defence expert, told The Guardian, explaining that if you place radar and surface-to-air missile systems on the island “it allows you to dominate the airspace in the northern Black Sea”.
The island also holds “great value for morale”, said The Jerusalem Post.
Wresting back control
Wresting back control of the territory will be tough given that “Russia’s navy has dominated the Black Sea since the war began”, The Guardian said. The challenge is also heightened by Ukraine having “no real maritime force to speak of”.
Kyiv “lost three-quarters or more of its navy during Russia’s seizure of Crimea in 2014”, the paper added, while “its only remaining frigate was deliberately scuttled days after the war started to prevent its capture”.
But the arrival of Western weapons is beginning to “reshape the battle”, said The New York Times. “Recent strikes suggest that they are using powerful Western anti-ship weapons in an effort to undermine Russian naval domination.”
This morning, the Ukrainian military claimed it had destroyed a Russian air defence system, as well as a radar installation and vehicles on the island - although the Russians claimed they had thwarted the attack. It comes after the Ukrainians struck a Russian naval tugboat heading to the island on Friday.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Shardlake: a 'tightly plotted, gorgeously atmospheric piece of television'
The Week Recommends Arthur Hughes captivates in this 'eminently watchable' Tudor murder mystery
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Major League Baseball is facing an epidemic of pitcher's injuries
Under the Radar Many insiders are blaming the pitch clock for the rise in injuries — but the league is not so sure
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
8 movie musicals that prove the screen can share the stage
The Week Recommends The singing and dancing, bigger than life itself
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Aid to Ukraine: too little, too late?
Talking Point House of Representatives finally 'met the moment' but some say it came too late
By The Week UK Published
-
The murky role of military contractors in war
The Explainer A civil case against US company has revived debate over the increasing use of private security firms in military operations
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
How would we know if World War Three had started?
Today's Big Question With conflicts in Ukraine, Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific, the 'spark' that could ignite all-out war 'already exists'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Will Iran attack hinder support for Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Pro-Kyiv allies cry 'hypocrisy' and 'double standards' even as the US readies new support package
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
The issue of women and conscription
Under the radar Ukraine military adviser hints at widening draft to women, as other countries weigh defence options amid global insecurity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Why is Ukraine backing far-right militias in Russia?
Today's Big Question The role of the fighters is a 'double-edged sword' for Kyiv, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine's unconventional approach to reconstruction
Under the radar Digitally savvy nation uses popular app to file compensation claims, access funds and rebuild destroyed homes
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What does victory now look like for Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Not losing is as important as winning as the tide turns in Russia's favour again
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published