Summary

--SUPERS--
State Border Guard Service of Ukraine
Saturday
Snake Island, Ukraine

August 12, 2023

--VIDEO SHOWS--
- Ukrainian officials replacing Snake Island border marker

--CNN INFORMATION--
In a symbolic move, Ukrainian border guards have replaced a border marker on the strategic Snake Island which was destroyed during the Russian occupation.

“A border marker was installed on Snake Island. The previous one, which stood there before the full-scale invasion, was brazenly destroyed by the Russian occupiers,” State Border Guard Service Head Serhii Deineko said in the video standing next to the yellow and blue colored border marker. “Historical justice was restored,” he said.

“The next border marker will be installed in our Ukrainian Crimea after it is liberated by the Ukrainian Defense Forces,” Deineko said.

Dmytro Usov from Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence said: “We remember everyone who liberated Snake Island. We remember everyone who liberated every piece of our land. And we will certainly return all our territory.”

Snake Island lies around 30 miles (48 kilometers) off the coast of Ukraine and is close to the sea lanes leading to the Bosphorus and Mediterranean. The Russian Navy captured the island at the start of the full scale invasion but Ukraine was able take back the island in June 2022. The island is one of the most potent symbols of Ukrainian resistance. The small but strategic territory was the scene of one of the opening salvos of the war in Ukraine, with demands from a Russian warship calling for the Ukrainian defenders to surrender, who boldly replied with “Russian warship, go f*** yourself.”

-----END-----CNN.SCRIPT-----

--KEYWORD TAGS--
UKRAINE RUSSIA WAR SNAKE ISLAND EUROPE BLACK SEA