Russia Ukraine war, page-28140

https://sofrep.com/news/may-9th-no-...nd-russias-top-tank-gunner-killed-in-ukraine/
'Snake Island Grind

We noted a few days ago that Ukraine seems to have launched a sea control offensive in the Black Sea kicking off with the sinking of the Cruiser Moskva last month. Since that time, Ukraine also claims to have hit the Russian Frigate Makarov(We are seeing some indications this may not be true or the damage minimal) while it also strikes at Russian fast patrol boats, landing craft an other vessels in the waters off its coast.
Snake Island was occupied by the Russians early in the conflict and was the scene of the famous refusal of its small garrison to surrender, telling the ill fated Moskva to “Go f yourselves.”  Contact with the garrison was lost and Ukraine reported that they had been wiped out to the last man.  Several days later, the Russians released video of the garrison being offloaded at Sevastopol alive and apparently well.
Since that time Russia has maintained its presence on the island for two reasons. One to prevent it being used as a base for missiles fired at Russian ships and to use it as their own base to shoot missiles at Ukraine and to monitor the air and sea around with with mobile air and surface search radar.
Recently, Ukraine has been hitting the island with precision strikes.  After taking down the Moskva which represented the major anti-air defence asset in those waters, Ukrainian drones were free to begin attacking Snake island and its now Russian garrison. Ukraine knocked out the air defence missile system on the island and then sank a landing craft on the beach at the moment it tried to unload a new mobile surface to air missile system to replace it, destroying both.  A few days ago it also clobbered a Russian helicopter seconds after landing and disgorging approximately 14 troops. It has also killed at least two fast patrol boats near the island. In the last couple of days, Ukrainain air force Mig-29s bombed the island at low level in a demonstration that Russia had lost control over the airspace and sea area near the island.
We don’t think Ukraine wants Snake Island back so much as they want to use it to continue to grind down Russia forces.  If Ukraine did make a helicopter assault with troops it would certainly be a morale booster for the country, but then they would have to defend it from Russian attacks and they lack the navy and air assets to do so.  Given the stubborn relunctance of the Russians to ever give anything back once they have taken it(Like Ukraine itself?) Ukraine seems to be willing to exploit this stubborness to by waiting for the Russians to attempt to reinforce the garrison and then destroy whatever they try to land.  In the end, Snake Island could end up being the Russian Mariupol, with its troops cut off, low on ammuntion and starving.  Except Ukraine doesn’t have to have to assault it and instead could starve it into submission while inflicting even more casualties on the Russians in men, material, helicopters, ships and boats.
That may be the greatest value of the island to Ukraine right now.'