When a Russian military warship approached Ukraine’s Snake Island, a defiant group of 13 soldiers chose not to surrender. Instead they went down fighting in the face of adversity mouthing obscenities at the Russian soldiers. The martyred 'Snake Island 13' have been hailed as heroes on social media and the country.
In a purported audio exchange, a Russian officer is heard telling a Ukrainian officer to surrender over the radio.
"This is a military warship. This is a Russian military warship. I suggest you lay down your weapons and surrender to avoid bloodshed and needless casualties. Otherwise, you will be bombed,” the recording says.
A Ukrainian soldier tells his group: “This is it. Should I tell him to go f*** himself?”
He turns up the volume on his radio and tells the Russian soldier: "Russian warship, go f*** yourself."
A group of Ukrainian border guards were stationed on Snake Island, in the Black Sea south of Odessa, when a Russian warship ordered them to surrender under threat of attack.Related stories
Their response: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."
They held their ground. All 13 were killed. pic.twitter.com/GMRsXQRSX0
— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) February 25, 2022
Moneycontrol cannot independently verify the authenticity of the audio clip.
All 13 Ukrainian defenders were killed in Russian bombardment, President Volodymyr Zelensky said adding that the soldiers will be awarded posthumously.
“On our Zmiinyi Island, defending it to the last, all the border guards died heroically. But they did not give up. All of them will be posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine,” he said on his website.
Snake Island, also known as Zmiinyi Island, is around 48 km off the southern tip of the Ukrainian mainland in the Black Sea.
The 'Snake Island 13' have been dubbed as one of the faces of determination, defiance and exemplary courage shown by Ukrainians as the Russian invasion continues for the third day.
Several Ukrainian citizens have even made Molotov cocktails and are attacking Russian tanks on the streets in a show of extraordinary resilience winning widespread support from millions across the world.
