HISTORY

rather far distance so the aircraft shapes

cannot be precisely recognized. According

to some sources there where Su-27 fighters attacking with bombs but the attack by

fighter-bomber Su-25 is more probable. The

pair arrived at high speed and very low altitude and each of them dropped two bombs.

According to some observers they did not act

prudently, and the second pilot almost flew

into the blast of the bombs dropped by his

leader. He supposedly lost focus due to this

and missed the target. In reality both attacking pilots hit their targets. There are two

groups of buildings on Snake Island - or better said there were. One was in the center of

the island and the second one on the shore

at a pier. Each of the attacking pilots aimed

at a different building therefore they did not

fly in a line but at a side distance. After the

raid the massive secondary explosions of the

stored ammunition took place in both groups

of the buildings. On the next day the satellite

images showed a large devastation of these

sites.

Bayraktar TB2 shot down in the Kursk area on April 27.

Battle for the strategic island

Snake Island is located approximately 145

km south of Odessa and only 40 km east

of Danube delta which separates Romania

and Ukraine. Its location has a strategic value because the radars positioned there can

monitor the whole southern coast of Ukraine

but also part of Romania, a NATO member.

Had they installed the AA missiles there

they would have controlled the whole area.

The Russians captured it on the first day of

war on February 24. The Ukrainian defenders

became famous when they sent “the Russian military ship to hell”. It was the cruiser

Moskva which ultimately ended up where it

had been sent. She was hit by the Ukrainian

rockets on April 13 and sank on the next day.

On Saturday April 30 Snake Island became

a target of Ukrainian payback. The rocket salvos destroyed the electronic reconnaissance

station and AA defense positions.

Of course, the Russians did not give up and

tried to get the reinforcements to the island.

In the process, on May 2 two Raptor class

patrol boats were destroyed by Bayraktars.

Raptors are 17 meters long with three crew

members, armored cabin and can transport 20 marines. The armament consists of

three machine guns. In the following days

more Raptor class boats were destroyed.

The Ukrainian attacks on Snake Island culminated on Saturday, May 7 when Bayraktars eliminated two attempts for getting the

reinforcements both by sea and the air. The

Serna class landing craft carrying the Tor

AA system on board was hit and sunk at the

pier. The fire from Bayraktar also destroyed

a Russian Mi-8 shortly after it landed on the

island.

And then the attack of a pair of Ukrainian

aircraft came - from that air force which

according to the official Russian statements

was completely destroyed a long time ago.

The raid was recorded by a Bayraktar drone. The images however were taken from

June 2022

A pair of Su-25 during the attack on Snake Island.

A Russian Mi-8 on Snake Island shortly before its destruction.

INFO Eduard

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