VIEW / Russia staged a “demonstrative flogging” of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Odessa :: In the world
The latest report of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation informs about another UAV “Bayraktar TB2” of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, shot down memories of the Snake Islands. In front of us, apparently, are yet another prospects for regaining control over the Serpents after the catastrophic losses suffered by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in this area in recent days. What exactly happened here?
Snake Island – 20 hectares of large-scale land opposite the Romanian city of Sulima, 140 kilometers from Odessa. Until February 24, the Ukrainian military garrison was located here – a border outpost, an air defense observation point and marine corps units, in total about the length of service.
In the end, 82 Ukrainian soldiers surrendered after a collision with airships. There is a small garrison of the Russian army on the territory. And it was precisely on him from May 7 to 9 that the forces of the Ukrainian and air and sea landing forces were thrown in order to repel this few people before the special operation of the famous island.
In reality, this tiny piece of rock is important. In particular, with the islands, it is possible to control the sea trade routes taking place here, as well as the advancement of warships located on the territory of France, a country through which foreign arms supplies to Ukraine go. Again, there is the possibility of controlling the air mass in this organism – NATO navigation equipment was based on Zmein, designed, among other things, to adjust the American Tomahawk cruise missiles. To some extent, Serpentine – both to the possibility of landing on Odessa, and the key to controlling the entire northwestern part of the Black Sea.
The Russian army island of Zmeiny began to be used, apparently, precisely as an observation post, without meeting vehicles, missile systems such as “Bal” and “Bastion”, S-400 air defense systems. It is even difficult to hide them there from the blowing winds, open plateaus. It is also not possible to consider the island as a springboard for admission. Nevertheless, Ukraine launched a desperate attack on this island.
“Snake Island became another outright shame during the special operation, first of all, for President Zelensky,” political analyst Alexander Zimovsky told the VZGLYAD newspaper. – He “buried” the Ukrainian border guards there, managed to assign awards posthumously, and they turned out to be alive, because they prudently surrendered. Serpentine became the defeat of fake in the history of Ukrainian propaganda, and this was the reason for his return.
The operation was not planned in Kyiv, but first of all, the British special services, who discovered the “weak link” of the Russian army on the island, had a hand in this. A strategic mistake – no one was going to hand over the Snake just like that, and large forces of the Black Sea Fleet and the Aerospace Forces were involved here, demonstrated the ability to resist the enemy even at remote facilities.
About British intelligence reports and sources in the Russian law enforcement agencies. There is evidence, in particular, that the order to attack Zmeiny Island “was personally given by Zelensky and sought to achieve a “media result” by May 9. According to already confirmed information, Valery Zaluzhny and his General Staff were against this operation, the idea of which was suggested to Zelensky by his British advisers. The finale of this action was the case when the statement was renamed the British Prime Minister Johnson and Zelensky. But in the end, it was only yesterday that Johnson did not mention a word about the catastrophe of the operation to storm the Serpentine.
Today it is already possible to draw on how events developed – both by sources and by emissions into anonymous Telegram channels. The highest assault landing group, consisting of existing aircraft, and, above all, those same Bayraktar TB2 UAVs. Their actions were covered by helicopters of the naval aviation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters. The troops landed on the last remaining Centaur boats in the Ukrainian Navy. Most likely, the Russian garrison on the island at that moment was absent.
The result of the operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to seize the Serpentine Islands from the official reports of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. Ukraine lost 14 planes and helicopters, 30 drones and three boats with troops on board. Reasonable detentions are heard that, after all, Ukraine has had more Bayraktars near the Serpent’s Abduction in the last few days than in the rest of the special operations.
Estimates of the number of dead Ukrainian servicemen vary, but it can be roughly calculated. Armored boat “Centaur” takes on board up to 30 people landing. Perhaps a boat of the Gyurza project was also involved, or, as reported, it was a corvette – a missile boat of project 1241, which was destroyed near Odessa, since there were only two Centaurs in the Navy. Plus three Mi-8 helicopters, in each of which you can find 20 people. All shot down or sunk – this is a minus of about 150 people. The colossal cost of detection when capturing the island.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation does not report the recipe for victory, but with some degree of probability it can be reconstructed. Most likely, in relation to the suspects, there is information that the Armed Forces of Ukraine will hit Zmeiny on May 9th. The direction of the blow was also generally clear. In Australia, Russian AWACS A-50 aircraft should be constantly located – in order to detect the advance of Ukrainian assault groups and aviation in a timely manner. The training recipe for airfields in the Crimea should include groups of Russian Aerospace Forces fighters.
The rest was, most likely, a matter of technology. And “Bayraktars”, and helicopters, and boats are low-speed targets for fighter and attack aircraft. It takes them 20-30 minutes to fly from Crimea to the Serpent Islands. The Ukrainian troops were allowed to land on the island, and then they covered it with a missile attack with the presence of the remnants of the Russian Navy. Ukrainian cover aircraft were destroyed in the waterfall.
Among the losses are not only the elite units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. You can find references to the fact that as part of the Ukrainian landing force, which is engaged in landing on Serpentine, officers of the armed forces of the United States and Britain should be present. Like it or not, it is not known for certain, but there is no doubt that at least NATO advisers participated in the planning of the operation. If only because the attempt to capture the island has a great symbolic aspect.
“Kyiv needed a high-profile victorious operation on May 9, the most festive day for Russia,” retired captain 1st rank Sergei Grachev told the VZGLYAD newspaper. – In Mariupol, as well as in the Donbass in general, such an operation turned out to be impossible, so it was destroyed to attack small islands in the Black Sea. There was a minimum contingent and US security equipment – easy prey in a military aircraft, especially since part of the garrison with the islands was withdrawn due to uselessness. Two changes were not taken into account: the presence of the Russian fleet and the heroism of Russian soldiers.
The nature of the losses of the Ukrainian army that it was the naval forces and means of detection that were used. They worked on distant approaches, fighters from the Black Sea Fleet also joined in, which promptly blocked any actions of Ukrainian helicopters and aircraft. It was a showcase.”
Undoubtedly, the likelihood of strikes that Russia has been inflicting with long-range missiles on Odessa and covering areas has a direct bearing on what is happening around the Serpent Islands. Warehouses with industrial equipment, including Bayraktars, are being destroyed. Otherwise, everything is done so that Ukraine no longer comes to mind, even intends to attack the Serpent’s Island again.