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Ukraine’s boats attack ships evacuating Ukrainian troops who surrendered on Snake Island

Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov added that the boats could have been directed by US drones

MOSCOW, February 26. /TASS/. At least 16 Ukrainian naval boats attempted to attack the Black Sea Fleet ships that were evacuating the Ukrainian troops who had laid down their arms and surrendered on Snake Island, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a briefing on Saturday.

He added that the boats could have been directed by US drones.

"On the evening of February 25, during the evacuation of 82 Ukrainian troops who had voluntarily laid down their arms on Snake Island, 16 boats belonging to the Ukrainian Navy tried to attack the ships of the Black Sea Fleet by using swarming tactics, " Konashenkov said adding that some of the boats used civilian vessels as shields.

According to the spokesman, the Ukrainian boats attacked to take revenge on those who had surrendered and to shift the blame for the prisoners’ deaths on Russia.

"As a result of the naval battles, 16 boats of the Ukrainian Navy were destroyed. None of the 82 Ukrainian troops from Snake Island were injured," he added.

Konashenkov pointed out that the Ukrainian naval boats could have been guided by US drones.

"I would like to focus your attention that during the attack of Ukrainian boats, US strategic unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) Global Hawk and MQ-9A Reaper were hovering over the area of provocation. It is highly likely that the American UAVs were directing the Ukrainian boats against the ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet," Konashenkov said.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories. Its objective is demilitarization and denazification of the country.

When clarifying the unfolding developments, the Russian Defense Ministry reassured that Russian troops are not targeting Ukrainian cities, but are limited to surgically striking and incapacitating Ukrainian military infrastructure. There are no threats whatsoever to the civilian population.

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