Russian Aerospace Forces conducted a significant missile strike on Snake Island, a small but strategically critical outpost in the Black Sea. The attack, executed by Tu-22M3 bombers armed with Kh-22 cruise missiles, resulted in several explosions on the island, signaling potential hits on Ukrainian military infrastructure, including radar systems and missile launchers. This strike is the latest in a series of aggressive moves by Russia, targeting Ukrainian military facilities on Snake Island as tensions continue to flare in the region.
The September 27 strike is not an isolated event. Earlier, on September 12, Ukrainian sources reported a similar strike, where two Tu-22M3 bombers launched Kh-22 missiles at the island. This marked a continuation of an offensive that began in August when Russia resumed missile strikes after a hiatus. On August 25, four Kh-22 cruise missiles were fired at Ukrainian forces stationed on Snake Island, signaling a renewed Russian interest in the strategic outpost.
These repeated strikes emphasize the island’s importance to both sides in the ongoing conflict. Despite its relatively small size—approximately 0.17 square kilometers—Snake Island holds significant geopolitical and military value. Its location, about 45 kilometers east of the Danube Delta and 35 kilometers off the coast of Ukraine near the city of Izmail, makes it a crucial point for controlling access to the northwestern Black Sea. For Ukraine, Snake Island has long been a staging point for operations aimed at defending and securing maritime routes.
Snake Island
Snake Island, also known as Zmiinyi Island, is a small piece of land in the Black Sea, but its significance far outweighs its size. For Ukraine, it is a key to securing its maritime trade routes, particularly for grain exports. These sea lanes are vital for Ukraine’s economy and have global implications, especially given the country’s role as one of the world’s leading grain exporters.
Control over Snake Island allows a nation to exert influence over shipping routes in the Black Sea, including those that are used for transporting grain and other essential goods. This control is not only crucial for maintaining economic stability in Ukraine but also for ensuring that Ukrainian grain reaches global markets, which rely on it to mitigate food shortages. The ongoing conflict and the strikes on the island threaten to disrupt these critical trade routes, potentially causing broader economic ramifications.
Kh-22: The Missile That Shapes the Conflict
Central to Russia’s recent military strategy is the use of Kh-22 air-to-surface missiles. These missiles, originally designed to target aircraft carriers, are proving highly effective in land-based operations due to their speed and attack trajectory. The Kh-22 is notoriously difficult to intercept. When launched in high-altitude mode, it climbs to an altitude of 27 kilometers before diving toward its target at a terminal speed of Mach 4.6. In low-altitude mode, the missile reaches 12 kilometers before making a shallow dive at Mach 3.5. This supersonic speed, combined with its flight path, makes it nearly impossible for most air defense systems to intercept.
The Ukrainian military has acknowledged the challenges posed by these missiles. In December 2023, Yurii Ihnat, the spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, admitted that despite the launch of 300 Kh-22 missiles since the start of the conflict, none had been intercepted by Ukrainian air defense systems. Ihnat emphasized the need for advanced air defense technology, such as the Patriot system, to counter the Kh-22’s unique flight characteristics.
The sheer size of the missile also adds to its potency. Weighing 6 tons, the Kh-22 can only be carried by bomber-class aircraft like the Tu-22M3, which can launch it from a range of 1,000 kilometers, far beyond the reach of most defensive systems. Russia has also modernized the Kh-22, with the Kh-32 variant offering improved performance, including an enhanced rocket motor and a more sophisticated seeker head, further complicating interception efforts.
Ukrainian War
Snake Island first became a focal point of military operations at the onset of the Russian invasion in February 2022. On the very first day of the conflict, the Russian Navy, including the cruiser Moskva and the patrol ship Vasily Bykov, attacked and captured Snake Island. Russia’s objective was clear: to establish air defense, missile systems, and electronic warfare assets on the island, thereby securing control over the northwestern Black Sea and enforcing a naval blockade against Ukraine.
However, this control was short-lived. In April 2022, Ukrainian forces achieved a significant victory by sinking the Moskva, the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s flagship, and one of its most formidable naval assets. The loss of the Moskva weakened Russian air defense around the island, enabling Ukraine to launch a sustained campaign of drone, missile, and artillery strikes against Russian positions. By June 2022, Ukrainian forces had successfully forced Russian troops to withdraw from Snake Island.
Since then, Snake Island has been a hotly contested site, with both sides seeking to establish or regain control over the outpost. The ongoing strikes, including those in September 2024, reflect Russia’s determination to prevent Ukraine from fortifying the island with radar systems and missile defenses, which could better protect commercial shipping and stage further attacks on Russian-occupied Crimea.
The missile strikes on Snake Island are part of a broader escalation in the Black Sea conflict, which has increasingly involved civilian shipping. In August 2024, Ukrainian forces launched a missile attack on a Russian ferry at the port of Kavkaz, sinking the vessel and its cargo of fuel tanks. This attack, carried out with an R-360 Neptune cruise missile, demonstrated Ukraine’s ability to target Russian maritime assets in the region.
Russia responded with an attack on the Turkish-operated merchant vessel MV Aya on September 11, 2024. The strike, which took place about 75 kilometers south of Snake Island, marked a significant escalation in Russia’s tactics, as it targeted a civilian vessel involved in grain transport. The use of a Kh-22 missile in this attack highlights Russia’s willingness to expand the conflict beyond strictly military targets, potentially aiming to disrupt Ukraine’s grain exports, which are critical to both the national economy and global markets.
These attacks suggest a shift in Russia’s strategy. By targeting civilian vessels, Russia appears to be signaling its intention to exert greater control over the Black Sea and to challenge Ukrainian and international efforts to maintain the safety of commercial shipping in the region. The involvement of a Turkish-operated vessel also risks widening the conflict by drawing in other nations with interests in maintaining Black Sea trade routes.
Snake Island and the Black Sea Conflict
The situation around Snake Island remains fluid, with both Russian and Ukrainian forces continuing to vie for control. The ongoing missile strikes, combined with the use of high-tech weaponry like the Kh-22 and Kh-32, suggest that the conflict is far from over. For Russia, the island represents a key point from which to exert influence over the Black Sea and to disrupt Ukrainian military and economic activities. For Ukraine, Snake Island is essential for protecting its maritime trade routes and ensuring the continued export of grain, which is vital to both the national economy and global food markets.
The strikes on Snake Island are likely to continue, as Russia seeks to prevent Ukraine from fortifying the island with defensive systems that could protect civilian shipping and launch further attacks on Russian-held territories, particularly Crimea. The use of Tu-22M3 bombers and Kh-22 missiles in these strikes underscores the high stakes involved and the lengths to which Russia is willing to go to achieve its objectives in the Black Sea.
As the conflict continues to escalate, Snake Island will remain a symbol of the broader struggle for control over the Black Sea—a struggle with implications that reach far beyond the shores of this small island. Whether Ukraine can maintain its hold on Snake Island or Russia can reassert its dominance will have lasting consequences for the balance of power in the region and for the future of maritime trade in the Black Sea.
The missile strikes on Snake Island are emblematic of the intensifying conflict between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea. With both sides recognizing the island’s strategic importance, control over Snake Island has become a critical objective in the ongoing war. The use of advanced missile systems like the Kh-22 and Kh-32 demonstrates Russia’s determination to disrupt Ukrainian operations and maintain its grip on the region. As the conflict unfolds, the fate of Snake Island will continue to be a key factor in determining the outcome of the broader struggle for control over the Black Sea.
