Snake Island: Report lists Russian losses - German Eurofighters nearby with "alert starts"
Created: 05/18/2022, 04:47
By: Patrick Mayer
The Snake Island in the Black Sea is heavily contested between Ukraine and Russia.
Not far away, German Bundeswehr Eurofighters monitor the airspace over Romania.
You had to go up.
Munich/Neuburg/Constanza - The Snake Island.
In the war with Russia, she is a symbol of the Ukrainian resistance.
The island in the Black Sea, which is just 17 hectares in size, became known worldwide through a radio message from a few border guards to the Russian missile cruiser "Moskva".
The rather clear request to the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet ("Russian warship, f... you!") went viral on the Internet.
Snake Island in the Black Sea: fiercely fought between Russia and Ukraine
In the middle of the Ukraine conflict, Kyiv issued a special stamp showing a border guard making a derogatory gesture in front of the "Moskva".
The missile cruiser has now been sunk, according to the official narrative of the Ukrainian armed forces and the American secret service.
The snake island, on the other hand, is still fiercely contested even after weeks.
Because it is strategically located 35 kilometers south of the city of Odessa.
Anyone who controls them can monitor the airspace on the Ukrainian Black Sea coast from there.
This would be immensely important for Moscow in order to build the envisaged land corridor between Crimea and the breakaway republic of Transnistria between Ukraine and Moldova.
This is another reason why the Ukrainian armed forces are fighting back so vehemently.
Since the end of April they have been able to celebrate considerable military successes.
According to their own statements, confirmed by high-profile drone footage.
And confirmed by information from British intelligence.
The news magazine
Spiege
l lists the following Russian losses on Snake Island in a recent article:
Snake Island in the Black Sea: Russian casualties in battle with Ukraine
Allegedly Destroyed Russian Military Equipment in the Battle of Snake Island:
Missile cruiser "Moskva": Flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet;
according to the Ukrainian side sunk with Neptune rockets;
sinking confirmed by Russian side;
was equipped with SU-300 anti-aircraft system
Russian Serna-class landing craft: According to Ukraine, sunk by TB-2 combat drone.
Sinking proven by satellite photos of "Maxar".
Two Russian Raptor-class patrol boats - also said to have been sunk by drone strikes.
A drone video was released.
A Mi-8 transport helicopter: Allegedly destroyed by a TB-2.
A drone video was released.
Ukraine has allegedly eliminated Strela-10, Tor and Su-23 air defense systems on Snake Island.
Alleged attack by two Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 jets on Russian positions.
Contested Snake Island: A sunken, presumably Russian landing craft can be seen in the center.
© Uncredited/Maxar Technologies/dpa
Snake Island in the Black Sea: Nato base is very close by in Constanta, Romania
The result: Currently, the Russian side has apparently lost air superiority, since, according to
Spiegel
, both the powerful SU-300 anti-aircraft system of the "Moskva" and smaller anti-aircraft positions on Snake Island have been eliminated.
What makes the fighting there particularly dangerous for the NATO alliance: The island is only 20 kilometers from the Danube Delta on the Romanian coast.
The Romanian air force base "Mihael Kogalniceanu" is located not far from Constanta.
Ukrainians and Russians are fighting each other right under the nose of the transatlantic defense alliance that is patrolling the Romanian coast as part of the NATO Enhanced Air Policing South (EAPS) mission.
Snake Island in the Black Sea: German Bundeswehr Eurofighters patrol Romania's coast
NATO Enhanced Air Policing South (EAPS) mission in Romania
Stationed at the Romanian air base "Mihael Kogalniceanu" near Constanta on the Black Sea.
8 Eurofighters of the Italian Air Force "Aeronautica Militare".
6 German Air Force Eurofighters with a total of 75 soldiers from Luftwaffe Squadron 74 from Neuburg an der Donau in Bavaria.
So-called alarm squads 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
One Italian and one German Eurofighter on duty at the same time.
Mission: air patrol on the Romanian Black Sea coast.
"This is about showing presence on the edge of Romanian territory," explained Lieutenant Colonel Swen Jacob, who commands the German contingent on the Black Sea, according to the
Donaukurier
.
Stationed on the Romanian Black Sea coast: Eurofighter of the German Bundeswehr.
(symbol photo) © Bernd Wüstneck/dpa
Snake Island in the Black Sea: Six German Eurofighters stationed in Romania
Also present: Six German Bundeswehr Eurofighters with changing crews from Air Force Squadron 74 from Neuburg an der Donau (Bavaria).
As the
Donaukurier
writes, during the Russia-Ukraine war there were only a “handful of alarm starts” up until mid-March.
The fighting for Snake Island is raging, and NATO is watching closely from up close.
(pm)
