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Why Ukraine’s Tiny Zmiinyi Island Still Forces Russia to Fire Carrier-Killer Kh-22 Missiles
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Russian long-range bombers launched Kh-22 cruise missiles at Ukraine’s Zmiinyi Island on March 9, despite the island lacking major military infrastructure.
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According to Defense Express on March 10, several Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bombers carried out the strike around 12:50 p.m., using high-speed Kh-22 anti-ship missiles.
The attack targeted the small Black Sea island that Ukraine recaptured during a military operation in the summer of 2022.
The aircraft involved in the strike had reportedly been redeployed from the Olenya air base in Russia’s Murmansk region ahead of the attack.
The outlet noted that employing long-range bombers and Kh-22 missiles against such a target represents a significant use of resources compared with strikes typically carried out by tactical aircraft such as the Su-34.
The Kh-22 missile carries a warhead weighing approximately 960 kilograms and was originally designed to strike large naval vessels. According to Defense Express, given the missile’s limited precision, the intended target may not have been a specific installation but the island itself, which measures roughly 600 by 600 meters.
The outlet reported that Zmiinyi Island currently hosts no high-value military systems such as radar installations or major weapons platforms that would normally justify the use of long-range strike assets.
Ukrainian personnel stationed on the island said in previously published footage that Russian forces regularly attempt to strike the area using Shahed-type drones and missiles, according to Defense Express.
Zmiinyi Island, located in the northwestern Black Sea, became a strategically important position early in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian forces regained control of the island in June 2022 following a sustained campaign targeting Russian air defense systems, vessels, and logistics infrastructure deployed there.
The island first drew global attention on the opening day of Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. When the Russian guided-missile cruiser Moskva demanded the surrender of the Ukrainian border guards stationed on the island, one of the defenders responded over radio with the phrase:
“Russian warship, go fuck yourself.” The exchange was later confirmed by Ukrainian authorities and widely circulated in audio recordings released by Ukraine’s Security Service.
The phrase quickly became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance. It was later commemorated in Ukrainian postage stamps issued in 2022, while the cruiser Moskva, which had participated in the initial demand for surrender, sank in the Black Sea in April 2022 after being struck by Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missiles.
According to Defense Express, the island has since remained an operational concern for Russian forces despite its small size and limited infrastructure.
The reported strike also follows losses suffered by Russia’s long-range aviation during Ukraine’s “Spiderweb” operation, which targeted several strategic bomber bases and reduced the availability of aircraft such as the Tu-22M3.
Earlier, Russian forces struck a residential building in Kharkiv with what Ukrainian investigators believe was a new “Izdeliye-30” cruise missile, according to the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office on March 7. The attack killed at least seven people, including two children, and injured more than a dozen others.
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-c439b7bd9030ecf9d5a4287dc361ba31.jpg "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
