JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russian withdrawal from Snake Island offers path for Ukraine grain shipments” – Financial Times

“Moscow says retreat shows ‘goodwill’ but Kyiv claims victory after bombardment of strategic Black Sea outpost.”

[scroll down for maps] “Russia withdrew forces from … strategic Black Sea outpost … Snake Island in what the defence ministry described as a ‘gesture of goodwill’ to help restore Ukrainian grain shipments, but which Kyiv claimed was a humiliating retreat. The [Russian defense] ministry said on Thursday … its troops had ‘finished fulfilling their tasks’ and ‘demonstrated that Russia is not blocking the UN’s efforts to organise a humanitarian corridor to export agricultural goods from Ukraine.’ Kyiv rejected this, saying it had [successfully] driven Russian forces from Snake Island with an artillery bombardment. …”

Click here for: “Russian withdrawal from Snake Island offers path for Ukraine grain shipments; Moscow says retreat shows ‘goodwill’ but Kyiv claims victory after bombardment of strategic Black Sea outpost” – Financial Times/ Max Seddon, Derek Brower, Roman Olearchyk