Ukranian Soldiers Who Told Russian Warship to 'Go F*ck Yourself' May Still be Alive

According to Ukraine’s State Border Guard, Ukrainian soldiers believed to have died while defending an island after telling a Russian warship to “go f*ck yourself” may still be alive.

According to initial reports, the 13 border guards died after refusing to surrender Snake Island, which is located 186 miles (300 kilometres) west of Crimea, to a Russian air and sea bombardment on Thursday.

In his address following the first day of the Russian invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that he would posthumously award the Hero of Ukraine award to all soldiers. “All border guards died heroically, but they did not surrender,” Zelenskiy said.

Ukraine lost contact with its forces on Zmiinyi (Snake) Island, a speck of land south of the port of Odessa, on Thursday after Russia conducted strikes from air and sea, Kyiv said.

A Ukrainian official had said 13 soldiers had been killed and he circulated an audio clip that he and media outlet Ukrainskaya Pravda said was an exchange between Ukrainian and Russian forces.

“This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down your weapons and surrender to avoid bloodshed and unnecessary victims. Otherwise you will be bombed.”

“Russian warship, go f*ck yourself,” came the reply.

Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to the interior minister, said Russia then began strikes.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had promised in a speech summarising Thursday’s fighting to decorate the deceased border guards.

“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 in comments on his website.

On Friday, Russia’s defence ministry said 82 Ukrainian soldiers on the island had surrendered to them voluntarily. It made no mention of carrying out strikes or inflicting casualties.

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