Russian forces withdrew from the island of Zmiinyi to facilitate the transport of Ukrainian grain abroad

The Russian Defense Ministry announced that its armed forces today completed their missions on the Black Sea island of Zmiinyi and withdrew their units there as a goodwill gesture to facilitate the transportation of Ukrainian grain abroad and to show that Russia is not obstructing the efforts of the United Nations in this regard.

Ministry spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov said at a briefing today. “The decision to withdraw does not allow Kiev to bet on the issue of the food crisis and to use this issue as a pretext that it is not possible to export grain due to Russia’s comprehensive control over the northwestern part of the Black Sea, as the decision now rests with the Ukrainian side, which refuses to remove mines from the sea coasts at the Ukrainian shores, including the docks in the ports.”

Concerning the outcome of the military operation during the twenty-four hours, Konashenkov said that the Russian forces targeted, with high-precision and long-range naval weapons, the headquarters of the Khritsa Group in the vicinity of the city of Dnipropetrovsk, the headquarters of the Ukrainian Regional Defense Division No. 123 and a location for the stationing of foreign mercenaries in the city of Nikolaev and an ammunition depot for the 79th landing offensive division in the town of Shevchenko, Nikolaev Province.

Konashenkov noted that the strikes resulted in the elimination of about 20 Ukrainian military personnel, more than 80 foreign mercenaries, the destruction of 6 armored vehicles and combat vehicles, more than 1,000 artillery shells, 300 mortar mines and 100 rocket launchers.

NR