Ukraine’s military has accused Russia of carrying out attacks using incendiary phosphorus munitions on Snake Island, just a day after Moscow withdrew its forces from the rocky outcrop in the Black Sea. Two types of Russian Su-30 fighter jets that dropped phosphorus bombs flew over the island from the Russian-controlled Crimean peninsula, Ukrainian military commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzny said on Telegram on Friday. “Today around 18:00… Su-30 planes of the Russian Air Force carried out two raids with phosphorus bombs on Zmiinyi Island,” the Ukrainian military said in a statement, using another name for Snake Island. The Russian Defense Ministry described its withdrawal from the island on Thursday as a “gesture of goodwill” intended to demonstrate that Moscow would not interfere with UN efforts to organize protected grain exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports. The Ukrainian military accused Russia on Friday of not being able to “respect even its own statements”. Video accompanying the Ukrainian statement showed a plane dropping munitions at least twice on the island, and what appeared to be white streaks rising above it. A Russian airstrike on Snake Island which is now unmanned after their withdrawal. Destroying the weapons they couldn’t discharge? pic.twitter.com/SsfGLVx7kK — Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) July 1, 2022 Phosphorus weapons, which leave a distinctive white trail in the sky, are incendiary weapons whose use against civilians is prohibited by international convention, but permitted for military targets. Ukraine has accused Russia of using phosphorus bombs several times since it invaded in late February, including in civilian areas, claims Moscow has denied. Ukraine claimed that Russian military personnel were forced to retreat from the island after coming under a barrage of artillery and rocket fire. Snake Island is located off the Ukrainian coast, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the Danube Delta, and was already a restricted military area as a Ukrainian border post before the war began. A satellite image shows an overview of Snake Island, Ukraine on May 12, 2022 [Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters]
