Illustrative picture of Snake Island from open sources
Russia’s losses throughout the war in Ukraine have already exceeded 74 million dollars in military equipment on Ukraine’s Snake (Zmiinyi) Island
Successful and systematic shelling on russia’s occupied Snake Island and their positions conducted by the Armed Forces of Ukraine showed how linear Kremlin’s actions are. Even though the island is at a considerable distance from the forces of the russian federation, the still try to hold it despite everything. Consequently, it resulted in multimillion-dollar losses for the occupier.
Defense Express decided to assess russia’s losses in an attempt to hold Snake Island. Moskva missile cruiser destruction (which allowed Bayraktar TB2 UAV to operate much more freely) should have opened the list, but we shall start from April 26.
Chronology of russian army losses on Snake Island is the following:
April 26: Strela-10 air-defense system;
April 30: Strela-10 air-defense system, three ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft twin-barreled autocannon and a communication vehicle;
May 2: two Raptor assault boats;
May 7: Serna-class landing craft, two Tor air-defense system and some undistinguished vehicles;
May 8: Mi-8 helicopter and two more Raptor assault boats.
Four Raptor boats: $ 8.4 million;
Serna-class landing craft: approximate cost of similar landing craft is $ 7 million;
Two units of Strela-10 air-defense system: not produced, the estimated cost of modern replacement Ptitselov air-defense system is approximately $ 6-8 million;
Two units of Tor air-defense system: estimated cost is $ 50 million;
Mi-8 helicopter: $ 4.5 million.
Enemy losses after recent Ukraine’s Su-27 airplane bombing is still unknown. It hit ammunition depots, as we see from repeated detonations and apparently significantly reduced the number of occupier on Zmiiny Island.
Video in bombing in the link
Consequently, armament equipment loss for russia is at least: seven air defenses, five boats, one helicopter and one communications vehicle. The total cost of this equipment is calculated by the method of restoring combat capability, taking into account the cost of replacing the unit with a new one.
In monetary terms, the total loss of the enemy on Snake Island is approximately 78 million dollars, namely:
Four Raptor boats: $ 8.4 million;
Serna-class landing craft: approximate cost of similar landing craft is $ 7 million;
Two units of Strela-10 air-defense system: not produced, the estimated cost of modern replacement Ptitselov air-defense system is approximately $ 6-8 million;
Two units of Tor air-defense system: estimated cost is $ 50 million;
Mi-8 helicopter: $ 4.5 million.
We should add the loss of manpower as well as other weapons and equipment, especially due to bombing, which is visible from a satellite image below.
Ukraine's Snake Island comparison before and after / Open source photo
In any case, if russia continues to try to hold Snake Island, the losses will only increase. Because they are not able to conduct a proper cover of the island by aircraft, and anti-aircraft missile systems deployment on the island results in armament annihilation straightaway.
The only option is to send to his area one of the Admiral Grigorovich class frigates with a marine version of Buk air-defense system.
As Defense Express reported Ukrainian UAV Bayraktar TB2 accurately sent to hell russia’s Mi-8 helicopter on the Snake Island. A video with strikes on an enemy helicopter is published by the operational command "South".
The video shows the work of the Bayraktar TB2 UAV on the enemy Mi-8 medium twin-turbine helicopter. With an accurate shot, the UAV sends this helicopter to hell to all other equipment destroyed on the island.
Watch the video and find more details on the theme in a publication by Defense Express:
It should be noted at once that the episode with the destruction of the Raptor boats, which was published on May 8, is quite similar to the one that was published on May 2. In particular, they coincide: the type of target, the number and means of destruction.
Therefore we will compare the moments of defeat of boats:
