A Ukrainian soldier wears a "Snake Island" embroidered badge on his uniform on May 17, 2022, in Kyiv, Ukraine.
(Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Russian forces' evacuation from Snake island is entirely for military reasons and does not constitute a goodwill gesture, nor does it significantly improve the chances of reopening Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea. Russia had attempted to use the island to more easily project force into the western Black Sea. But Ukrainian forces repeatedly destroyed Russian anti-air missile systems on Snake Island, which ultimately forced Moscow to withdraw on June 30 by barring Russian forces from establishing control of the skies overhead. Russia’s withdrawal from Snake Island in theory creates a corridor along the western edge of the Black sea outside of the immediate reach of Russian forces that could be used for shipping. Russia, however, has numerous other military capabilities at its disposal -- including mines, aircraft or even submarines -- that it could use to blockade Ukrainian ports, should it come to that. Moscow will thus still...
