The invaders seek to strengthen their air defense capabilities over the captured Ukrainian Zmiyinyi island in the Black Sea.

Serhiy Bratchuk, the spokesman of the Operational Staff of the Odessa Regional Military Administration, announced this on Telegram.

Currently, Russia is bringing the air defense systems to the island, but the Ukrainian military command is preparing a response to these actions of the enemy.

“The enemy there is trying to deploy its air defense systems. But the relevant decisions of our military leadership will be fatal for the invaders,” Bratchuk said.

Earlier, the representative of the American Department of Defense had also shared that the Russian invaders make attempts to strengthen the defense at the captured Zmiyinyi island.

In particular, the aggressors aim to strengthen air defense capacities.

According to a high-ranking Pentagon official, Russia’s army continues controlling the island, but Ukrainian forces are actively trying to displace the invaders from this piece of land in the Black Sea.

Last week, battles for the island have intensified. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are actively preventing the Russians from establishing their positions there and gaining control over this area of the sea.

The strike of the military defense forces of Ukraine destroyed the “Tor” and “Strela-10” SAMs, ammunition, and boats near the island.

The Ukrainian military has also published a video featuring the work of Ukrainian aviation against the enemy forces on Zmiyinyi island.

In addition, servicemen of the Defense Forces of Ukraine destroyed the enemy helicopter on the island. The video recorded by the Bayraktar UAV captured a hit on the enemy aircraft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSWO_sNztRM

Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine mentioned that the fight for the strategically important Zmiyinyi island will continue for as long as it takes to reclaim control.