Ukraine accuses Russia of dropping phosphorus bombs on Snake Island after retreat
- Use of these incendiary weapons against civilians is banned under an international convention but allowed for military targets
- Moscow’s forces had claimed their withdrawal was a ‘gesture of goodwill’
Ukraine’s army accused Russia of carrying out strikes using incendiary phosphorus munitions on Snake Island on Friday, just a day after Moscow withdrew its forces from the rocky outcrop in the Black Sea.
“Today at around [6pm] … Russian air force SU-30 planes twice conducted strikes with phosphorus bombs on Zmiinyi island,” it said in a statement, using another name for Snake Island.
The Russian defence ministry on Thursday described the retreat as “a gesture of goodwill” meant to demonstrate that Moscow will not interfere with UN efforts to organise protected grain exports from Ukraine.
The Ukrainian army on Friday accused the Russians of being unable to “respect even their own declarations”.
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Its statement was accompanied by a video that showed a plane drop munitions at least twice on the island, and what appeared to be white streaks rising above it.