Ukrainian soldiers who died defending an island in the Black Sea told a Russian officer onboard a warship to "go f**k yourself" after being asked to surrender.
According to reports, 13 border guards stationed on Snake Island, known as Zmiinyi Island in Ukrainian, were killed when Russian troops bombed the island on Thursday.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the news in his address after the first day of the invasion of Ukraine, saying that he would posthumously award the soldiers the Hero of Ukraine award, The Guardian reported.
"All border guards died heroically but did not give up," Zelenskyy said.
Since Zelenskyy's announcement, audio has emerged appearing to capture the soldiers' final words to an approaching Russian navy vessel in which a Russian officer told them to "lay down your weapons."
"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 Russian office was recorded as saying, according to The Guardian.
There is a moment of silence before a Ukrainian officer reportedly responded: "Russian warship go f**k yourself."
Snake Island is owned by Ukraine and is situated near the Ukrainian and Romanian coasts along the Black Sea.
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Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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