CNN journalists were the first foreign media to visit the Ukrainian island of Zmeiny, which was liberated from the Russians, and showed the duty of Ukrainian servicemen on it.

Journalists talked to a fighter with the call sign “Fortuna”, a Russian who lived with his family in Ukraine and voluntarily stood up for her.

" There is always something to do, he said.. – At this stage, the Russians only carry out air strikes. For us to hear them come. Plus we have observers around the perimeter and we get intelligence. Therefore, we are usually warned of a possible attack.”.

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Another fighter of a small observation garrison on the island with the call sign “Shakespeare” spoke about the dismissal of Zmeiny.

“The Russians were mistaken in believing that we could not reach them. They thought that we could only fire at them with multiple launch rocket systems, so they installed anti-aircraft systems on the island.. They were able to intercept our missiles, but we used complex strikes with cannon artillery,” Shakespeare said..

It was he who led the operation to liberate the island, which the Russians captured on the first day of the invasion.. According to him, French CAESAR artillery mounts, as well as Grad multiple rocket launchers were used in the battle.. But he does not praise the Ukrainian Bogdan howitzer, he says that it broke more often than fired..

Shakespeare also said that it was much more difficult to use artillery at sea than the usual static work on land.. “The conditions are different, so aiming is difficult,” he said, adding that reconnaissance drones helped to make the artillery fire more accurate..

The island itself, according to Shakespeare, has not only symbolic, but also strategic significance..

" Without security (of the island), the signing of the grain agreement would have been impossible,” Shakespeare believes..

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Recall that the Commander of the Navy Oleksiy Neizhpapa, in an interview published by the Naval Forces of Ukraine, said that the coastal missile forces created during the war played a key role in the liberation of Snake Island in the Black Sea..