New Documentary on the Battle for Snake Island

On May 7, 2022, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (GUR MO) released a documentary film titled “Battle for Snake Island. The Sea”, focusing on the combat actions to liberate the island from Russian forces in the Black Sea.

The film is available on the official GUR YouTube channel.

Landing Operation on Snake Island May 7, 2022: key details

The documentary provides a detailed account of the joint landing operation carried out by GUR special forces and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) with the support of the Navy on May 7, 2022 – exactly three years ago.

According to Ukrainian officers in the accompanying commentary, this operation was prepared by intelligence in collaboration with the SBU as a “surprise landing operation using boats and army aviation helicopters” to drive the occupiers off the island.

The commander of the GUR special unit with the call sign “Shaman”, who participated in the operation, stated that the landing and attack by Ukrainian fighters “shocked the occupiers”.

“They did not expect this, and we also gave them a good beating there”, – the officer remarked.

GUR noted that the battle for Snake Island on May 7, 2022, lasted most of the day, and the Russians had to deploy aviation and reserves to repel the attack. Ultimately, the Ukrainian paratroopers had to return to their initial positions, but as emphasized in the intelligence report, this assault “proved that the island could be liberated”.

Why is Snake Island strategically important?

GUR MOU leader Kyrylo Budanov mentioned in the film: “We greatly enriched our experience, especially in actions on this island. Both during the attempt to capture it and after its liberation, when we had to master the captured equipment left by the Russians”.

GUR reminded that the subsequent liberation of Snake Island (in the summer of 2022) allowed Ukraine to regain control over critical maritime trade routes essential for export.

“A special forces unit of the Russian army was stationed there until the last moment, doing everything to block shipping in the region. This will no longer be the case”, – Budanov noted.

The liberation of Snake Island, as concluded by GUR, became a key factor for the operation of the “grain corridor”, which is vital for the Ukrainian economy and global food security.