Russia abandons Snake Island

Ukrainian military pictures showed black columns of smoke billowing from Snake Island on Thursday. Soon after, Russia said it had withdrawn its troops. Ukrainian forces said the Russians fled the island in a small boat after hitting the island with missiles. Russia seized the Black Sea outpost at Snake Island on the first day of the war. The position has helped maintain its occupation of the Black Sea port in Odesa, where Ukraine exports much of its grain.

What does the withdrawal mean for exports? Western officials have said Russia is holding the world’s food supply hostage. The UN has been trying to open up a humanitarian corridor for grain exports. Russian officials said they withdrew as a “gesture of goodwill” to show they are not blocking Ukrainian grain from leaving the country. But experts said withdrawing from Snake Island will likely not completely open the port at Odesa, where grain is waiting to be exported.

Dig deeper: Read Onize Ohikere’s report in World Tour on the global food crisis.