{"id":190209,"date":"2022-07-08T01:25:34","date_gmt":"2022-07-07T22:25:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uacrisis.org\/?p=190209"},"modified":"2022-07-08T01:25:37","modified_gmt":"2022-07-07T22:25:37","slug":"day-134","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uacrisis.org\/en\/day-134","title":{"rendered":"Day 134: Ukraine hoists flag on Zmiinyi Island, Russia strikes Kramatorsk, Kharkiv"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ukrainian service members hoist national flag on Zmiinyi Island<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

An inscription on the flag reads: \u201cRussian warship, remember, Zmiiny Island is Ukraine!\u201d spokesperson of the Odesa regional military administration Serhiy Bratchuk said on Telegram. Head of the Odesa regional military administration Maksym Marchenko wrote this on the flag.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ukrainian Navy\u2019s Special Operations Forces shared details of their landing on the island. On the night of July 6 into July 7, combat swimmers of the 73rd<\/sup> <\/em>Antin Holovatyi Naval Special Operations Center neared Zmiinyi Island in underwater vehicles. They surveyed the coastal area, looking for naval and anti-landing mines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After installing a passage for the main group\u2019s boats, they sent a signal to continue operation. The engineers descended on the island first. They cleared a passage of mine and traps for the rest of the force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As they reached the island\u2019s plateau, the group examined the area, and took stock of the weapons and materiel that the Russian forces brought to the island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ukrainian service members hoisted national flags in different parts of the island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWhile our soldiers were doing their tasks, Russian ships began maneuvering in the direction of Zmiinyi Island. After completing the task, the combined forces group left the island. Russians then conducted a missile strike against the island and hit a pier. The entire group of Ukrainian servicemen returned unscathed to the base,\u201d a statement by the Special Operations Forces reads.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Following massive missile and artillery strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on June 30, the Russian occupying forces hastily evacuated remaining garrison from Zmiiny Island in two boats. Russia\u2019s Defense Ministry said the retreat from the island was a \u201cgesture of goodwill\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UK Defence Ministry disproved the claim. The Ukrainians were very successful at applying significant pressure on the Russians on Zmiinyi, the U.S. Department of Defense said. Russian forces lost nearly USD one billion worth of equipment in the attacks on the island, Forbes said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n