<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Russian forces abandoned the strategic Black Sea outpost of Snake Island on Thursday, in a major victory for Ukraine that could loosen the grip of Russia's blockade on Ukrainian ports.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Russia's defence ministry said it had decided to withdraw from the outcrop as a "gesture of goodwill" to show Moscow was not obstructing U.N. efforts to open a humanitarian corridor allowing grains to be shipped from Ukraine.</div><div><br></div><div>Ukraine said it had driven the Russian forces out after a massive artillery and assault overnight.</div><div><br></div><div>"KABOOM!" tweeted Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff. "No Russian troops on the Snake Island anymore. Our Armed Forces did a great job."</div><div><br></div><div>Ukraine's southern military command posted an image on Facebook of what appeared to be the island, seen from the air, with at least five huge columns of black smoke rising above it from what it described as an assault by missiles and artillery. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>