The group of Ukrainian border guards who told the Russian military to leave on the radio while defending a small island in the Black Sea and believed to have been killed may now be alive and being held as prisoners of war.
Guards defending Snake Island, a strategically important piece of land south of the port of Odessa, were initially thought to have been killed, but fell into flames of linguistic fame during Thursday’s attacks.
But photos released by the Russian Defense Ministry show that Ukrainian servicemen are still alive after “voluntarily” surrendering their garrison to Russian troops.
Nearly a dozen photos published by Russia allege that the men boarded buses, received bottled water and a package of food before being shown seated.
Russia has even said the men will be released to be allowed to return to their families.
The authenticity of the information is still uncertain, given that just a day earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had promised to posthumously reward the “heroic deceased border guards.”
Ukrainian border guards defending a small Black Sea island from Russia were thought to have been killed after telling the Russian navy to “fuck off”, but Russia has released nearly a dozen photos since then.
The guards defending the island of Zmiyni (Zmiyski) – a speck of land south of the port of Odessa, were initially thought to have been killed but perished in flames of linguistic fame, but were allegedly photographed on Saturday
Ukrainian border guards operating a small island in the Black Sea near Romania, who were initially thought to have been killed on Thursday after telling a Russian warship to “fuck off” when they were told to surrender, they are now thought to have survived
Snake Island is strategically important because it allows Russia to claim territorial waters extending 12 nautical miles to the sea.
On Friday, in an audio clip shared online, an officer from a Russian warship could be heard telling Ukrainian security guards to “immediately lay down their arms to avoid bloodshed and unjustified deaths”, adding “otherwise you will be bombed” .
After a brief discussion with each other, the guards responded to the Russian navy with the words: “Russian warship, fuck you.”
Ukraine later lost contact with its forces defending the island on Thursday after Russia struck from air and sea, officials in Kiev said.
A video has also surfaced on Twitter showing the time the island was shelled. It shows a Ukrainian soldier staring at a camera before a projectile falls nearby.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky even promised in a speech summarizing the battles on Thursday to decorate the dead border guards.
But according to a statement issued Saturday by Ukraine’s State Border Service, the group is believed to have survived.
– We [have a] a strong belief that all Ukrainian defenders of Snake Island (Snake) can be alive, “the statement said.
Photos released by Russia on Saturday allege that Ukrainian servicemen arrived from Snake Island after leaving their garrison and “voluntarily surrendering” to Russian troops.
Before boarding the bus, the soldiers were given packets of food and bottles of water
Russian authorities distributed bottled water to Ukrainian soldiers as they boarded a bus
Russians say captured men will be “returned to their families”
The men see them boarding a bus that was taken from Snake Island during the operation
Ukrainian border guards operating the small Black Sea Snake Island near Romania were thought to have been killed on Thursday after telling a Russian warship to “fuck off” when ordered to surrender, but is now believed to be dead. that they survived
On Friday, Russia’s defense ministry said 82 Ukrainian soldiers on the island had surrendered voluntarily. It does not mention beatings or casualties.
Russian Major General Igor Konashenkov said that the servicemen on the island “laid down their arms and voluntarily surrendered to a unit of the Russian armed forces.”
“Russian media reported that Ukrainian servicemen on the island have been sent to Sevastopol in Crimea,” the statement said.
Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion in the early hours of Thursday, Moscow’s most aggressive operation since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.
Protesters in Munich, Germany, hold placards containing reports of the attack on Snake Island, where border police told a Russian warship “motherfucker”
Snake Island is ruled by Ukraine, but is only miles off the coast of Romania.
This is strategically important because it will allow Russia to claim territorial waters extending 12 nautical miles to the sea.
They cover important shipping channels to the port cities of Odessa, Nikolaev and Kherson.
Following the conquest of the island, Russia could suspend shipping by isolating Ukraine from international markets and depriving its economy of vital trade revenues while seeking to protect itself.
The troops were stationed on Snake Island in the Odessa region and defended the territory after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The island is ruled by Ukraine, but is only miles off the coast of Romania, a NATO member