Russia beefs up air defense on Snake Island
Russia has likely moved multiple air defense assets, including SA-15 and SA-22 missile systems, to Snake Island in the western Black Sea, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said Monday in an intelligence update.
The move follows the loss of the Russian warship Moskva, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet.
"It is likely these weapons are intended to provide air defence for Russian naval vessels operating around Snake Island," the ministry added. "Russia's activity on Snake Island contributes to its blockade of the Ukrainian coast and hinders the resumption of maritime trade, including exports of Ukrainian grain."
Russian forces captured Ukraine's Snake Island in the early days of the invasion, memorably when Ukrainian soldiers defending the tiny islet told an attacking Russian warship to "go f--- yourself." Ukrainian troops have failed in their attempts to retake the previously inconsequential territory.
Meanwhile, in eastern Ukraine's contested Donbas region, heavy fighting continues in the war-torn city of Sieverodonetsk, according to the ministry.
"Russian forces continue to push towards Sloviansk as part of their attempted encirclement of Ukrainian force," the ministry said.
And in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, Russian air-launched cruise missiles struck rail infrastructure Sunday in the early morning hours, "likely in an attempt [to] disrupt the supply of Western military equipment to frontline Ukrainian units," according to the ministry.