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'Go f**k yourself': Haunting last words of Ukrainian soldiers during Battle of Snake Island

Video shows the defiance of 13 Ukrainian soldiers who refused to surrender, were killed in bombing by the Russian Navy

As we enter day two of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, more and more chilling images, videos, and information are being made available, indicating the full scale of the crisis. Russia is not just running a bombing campaign of major Ukrainian cities but is also rolling in tanks from the Belarusian border. The Air Force is also involved in the campaign, and on February 24, we have come to learn of the Russian Navy's involvement as well.

In the latest updates, we learned Russia has already captured the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, and there are now serious concerns Kyiv could fall by the end of the week. Despite the damage, destruction, and horror of war, many have seen the funny side. Gen Z was slammed for posting memes about world war 3 in response to the invasion, something that even Ukraine's official Twitter account has resorted to. 

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But it's clear that the invasion is no laughing matter. Not only are we getting reports of death and damage, but there are also some truly heartbreaking stories coming out of the nation as well. One such instance is the defiant last stand of 13 Ukrainian soldiers at Snake Island, who were determined to die rather than surrender to Russia's Navy. 

Defiant last stand recorded

Snake Island is a 42-acre outpost for Ukraine's border patrol, located about 70 nautical miles south of Odesa and 40 miles from the Romanian border. Locally called 'Zmiiniy Island', it was being held by 13 Ukrainian soldiers, before the Russian Navy moved into the area. In social media posts, their defiant last stand was publicly recorded, even in the face of death. According to reports, the warships Moskva and Vasily Bykov said in a radio message, "I suggest you lay down your weapons and surrender to avoid bloodshed and needless casualties. Otherwise, you will be bombed."

However, in defiance, one Ukrainian soldier replied, "Russian military ship, go f--k yourself." Tragically, they were all killed after the ships opened fire in a massive bombardment of Snake Island. Ukraine's State Border Guard Service confirmed the capture of the island on Facebook, saying, "Infrastructure of Zmiiniy Island was destroyed... According to last information, Zmiiniy Island was captured by the enemy." One soldier shared the moment the island was bombed by Russia live on Instagram, with the video now going viral. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed their deaths and noted all the soldiers would be awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine posthumously. Shortly after the shelling, Russian soldiers set foot on the island to take control of it, The Maritime Executive reported. The strategic victory now allows Russia to claim a large section of the sea in the region, stretching 12 nautical miles out. It also means Ukraine is isolated from much of the world via sea since the area was a key channel for the shipping of goods.