The Ukrainian military on Friday night accused the Russians of firing phosphorous bombs on Serpent Island in the Black Sea, from which Moscow withdrew on Thursday after being expelled by the Ukrainians.
• Read also: The Russian army announces its withdrawal from Snake Island
“At about six o’clock in the evening, the Russian armed forces twice carried out an air attack with phosphorous bombs on Serpent Island,” Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny wrote in a telegram, accusing Moscow of “not respecting its statements.”
The day before, the Russian military had referred to its withdrawal from this symbolic area as “a sign of goodwill”, after it had “achieved” the “set goals”.
“The only thing in which the enemy is consistent is his constant ‘accuracy’ of striking,” Mr. Zaluzny criticized.
He attached his message to a video clip in which we see an aircraft flying over Snake Island and dropping at least two bombs that hit their target, leaving light white streaks appearing in the sky, a hallmark of phosphorous bombs.
Phosphorous weapons are incendiary weapons that are prohibited from being used against civilians, but not against military targets, by an agreement signed in 1980 in Geneva.
Kyiv accused Moscow of using it on several occasions since the end of February, including against the civilian population, which the Russian military categorically rejects.
On Thursday, the Ukrainian army congratulated itself for forcing the “unable to resist” Russian artillery to abandon Snake Island, northwest of the Black Sea.
This small island has become a symbol since the first day of the Russian invasion when a member of the small Ukrainian garrison defended by the Russian ship, demanding its surrender, told the Russian ship to “slave it”.
The Russian army finally took control, and then repulsed several Ukrainian attacks, until Thursday.
