An attempt by Ukrainian armed forces to seize the infamous Snake Island by air and sea over the weekend resulted in failure and substantial casualties, the Russian Ministry of Defense said on Monday, noting that US and UK advisers were involved in planning the operation.
“Over the past two days, the Kiev regime has made several desperate attempts to land by air and sea on Snake Island, which is important for ensuring control of the northwestern part of the Black Sea,” said Major General Igor Konashenkov, the Russian military spokesman.
The assault was ordered personally by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday, and the plans to take the island were made by the general staff in Kiev “with direct participation” of advisers from the US and the UK, Konashenkov added.
Russian forces stationed on the island thwarted the Ukrainian attack, and inflicted “great losses” on the enemy, according to Konashenkov. He said Ukraine lost four aircraft – three Su-24 ground attack jets and one Su-27 fighter – as well as four helicopters, including a Mi-24 and three Mi-8s loaded with troops.
Over the two days of fighting, 29 Ukrainian drones were shot down, including a total of eight Bayraktar TB-2 attack UAVs. Four of the Turkish-made drones were shot down just during the day on Monday, Konashenkov noted.
Ukrainian losses also included three ‘Centaur’-class assault boats, also known as Project 58181, sunk during an attempted night landing on May 8, Konashenkov said. More than 50 Ukrainian troops perished in the “thoughtless” attempt to assault the island, leaving 24 bodies on the shore, the Russian military spokesman said.