Ukrainian forces on Monday raised their nation’s flag on Snake Island, having recaptured the island from the Russians who withdrew last week amid heavy artillery shelling. “The military operation has been concluded, and… the territory has been returned to the jurisdiction of Ukraine,” Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern military command told reporters Monday.
Ukrainian officials said control of the island – site of the defiant “Russian warship, go fuck yourself” battle cry of its heroic guards during the invasion’s initial stage – will help reduce pressure on exports of wheat, but they specifically asked for diplomatic help from Turkey to ensure safe passage for shipments out of the Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits.