More goodwill from Mr Putin

The other day, the Russians explained their abrupt departure from strategic Snake Island as a "goodwill gesture." Yesterday brought more of Putin's good will in the form of phosphorous bombs, as the Russians tried to burn the equipment left behind by the garrison when it fled in two speedboats. 

The tussle over Snake Island dates back to February 24, when the Russians tried to seize it as a weapons platform to help them control the Black Sea. They sent their most powerful warship, Moskva ("Moscow"), to demand its surrender. The garrison replied with an insult that has been translated: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself!", which has since been made the subject of a Ukrainian postage stamp, shown here, with a National Guardsman giving his finger to the  warship. 

After the Russians seized the island, the Ukrainians struck back, and with incredible good luck managed to destroy Moskva with two shore-based missiles that apparently were developed in-country. The sinking of the guided-missile cruiser on April 22 deprived Russia of the ability to command the coast of Ukraine, so Snake Island became a missile base in its stead. So Ukraine began to eat away at the occupiers with armed drones, long-range howitzers and, on May 27, bombs from a pair of Soviet-era SU-27 jet fighters (NATO code name "Flanker"), in what proved to be a successful effort to drive them out. Russian warships now have to stay a healthy distance from Ukraine's Black Sea coast.