A chilling video from Ukraine’s Snake Island has been doing the rounds on the internet wherein a bunch of Ukrainian soldiers defied Russian forces and refused to lay down their arms after being asked to surrender by a Russian warship. “Russian warship, go f*ck yourselves,” Ukrainian soldiers told an officer on board a Russian navy warship when asked to surrender.
The video of the conversation went viral on social media platforms as users hailed 13 Ukrainian soldiers for their exemplary courage in the face of adversity and imminent death after they refused to vacate their post amidst the escalation of hostilities between Ukraine and Russia.
I can’t believe that this is real life pic.twitter.com/DGtDR9IASy
— Disraelite 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 (@OneNationCon) February 24, 2022
“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,” said a Russian office onboard a navy warship.
“Russian warship, go fuck yourself,” came the reply from the Ukrainian soldiers guarding the strategic island.
According to Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to the interior minister, the strikes began soon after the defiant response by the Ukrainian soldiers.
The refusal to surrender eventually led to the death of all 13 Ukrainian soldiers, who were killed in an attack after Russia conducted strikes from air and sea, Kyiv said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday confirmed that Snake Island, which is small but strategically important for the defence of Ukraine’s territorial waters and among its southernmost settlements, had been captured by Russia.
“All the defenders of Snake Island died, but they did not surrender,” Zelenskiy said in a video posted on Telegram, adding that they would be named “heroes of Ukraine.”
Russia launches ‘military operations’ against Ukraine
On Thursday (February 24), Russian President Vladimir Putin announced limited military operations against Ukraine. In a televised address, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the special operation to be conducted in East Ukraine.
Putin had added explicitly that Moscow did not plan on occupying Ukraine. He said the military action he announced would seek to “demilitarise” and “denazify” Ukraine and came in response to threats from Ukraine.
According to Ukraine’s border guard agency, the Russian military entered the country from neighbouring Belarus. The Russian forces crossed Belarus to enter Ukraine from the North, said Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Northern border forces in Ukraine have come under attack by Russian troops.
