Budanov: without control over Zmiinyi, shipping from the ports of Ukraine was impossible
17.03.2023 - 11:15
The return of control over Zmiinyi Island has become a key factor in the work of Ukrainian ports. In the documentary, the details of the release of the strategically important object were revealed.
Without regaining control over the Snake Island, the russians would simply economically destroy Ukraine, said the head of the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov .
“Also, any shipping from the ports of Ukraine was impossible,” Kyrylo Budanov emphasized in the film from the documentary trilogy “Military intelligence of Ukraine: on the sea, in the sky, on the ground.”
The key to liberating the island was the sinking on April 13 sinking of the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet of russian federation, the cruiser “Moskva”.
According to the commander of the Naval Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Vice-Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa, the liberation of the island from the invaders was influenced by sea and air “components”.
“This is the sinking of the missile cruiser “Moskva”, the destruction of several amphibious ships, enemy boats, in general, a violation of the logistics of Zmiiny Island. This applies to the marine component. As for the air component, it is the “Bayraktars” of naval aviation, which Ukraine used for the first time in combat against naval targets,” said Oleksiy Neizhpapa.
The film showed for the first time exclusive footage of the flight, landing from helicopters and combat operations on the island, which were carried out on May 8 by the Special Forces of the Military Intelligence Service of Ukraine and “Alfa” of the SBU.
All eight helicopters that flew to Zmiiny, carried out rocket fire and landed groups of special forces on the island, returned to the bases unscathed. But near the shores of Odesa, at the mouth of the Danube, a Russian Su-30 fighter jet shot down a Mi-14 naval helicopter, which killed the deputy commander of the Armed Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Colonel Igor Bedzai.
As previously reported by USM, the loss of the missile cruiser cost russia approximately $750 million.
