KYIV: Ukraine says it can posthumously honour a gaggle of Ukrainian border guards who had been killed defending a tiny island within the Black Sea throughout a multi-pronged Russian invasion.
Ukraine misplaced contact with its forces on Zmiinyi (Snake) Island, a speck of land south of the port of Odessa, on Thursday after Russia carried out strikes from air and sea, Kyiv mentioned.
A Ukrainian official mentioned 13 troopers had been killed and he circulated an audio clip that he and media outlet Ukrainskaya Pravda mentioned was an trade between Ukrainian and Russian forces.
“This can be a Russian warship. I suggest you lay down your weapons and give up to keep away from bloodshed and pointless victims. In any other case you’ll be bombed.”
“Russian warship, go f*** your self,” got here the reply.
Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to the inside minister, mentioned Russia then started strikes.
The authenticity of the recording couldn’t be independently verified by Reuters.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy promised in a speech summarising Thursday’s preventing to brighten the deceased border guards.
“On our Zmiinyi Island, defending it to the final, all of the border guards died heroically. However they didn’t hand over. All of them will likely be posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine,” he mentioned in feedback on his web site.
On Friday, Russia’s defence ministry mentioned 82 Ukrainian troopers on the island had surrendered to them voluntarily. It made no point out of finishing up strikes or inflicting casualties.
Ukraine misplaced contact with its forces on Zmiinyi (Snake) Island, a speck of land south of the port of Odessa, on Thursday after Russia carried out strikes from air and sea, Kyiv mentioned.
A Ukrainian official mentioned 13 troopers had been killed and he circulated an audio clip that he and media outlet Ukrainskaya Pravda mentioned was an trade between Ukrainian and Russian forces.
“This can be a Russian warship. I suggest you lay down your weapons and give up to keep away from bloodshed and pointless victims. In any other case you’ll be bombed.”
“Russian warship, go f*** your self,” got here the reply.
Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to the inside minister, mentioned Russia then started strikes.
The authenticity of the recording couldn’t be independently verified by Reuters.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy promised in a speech summarising Thursday’s preventing to brighten the deceased border guards.
“On our Zmiinyi Island, defending it to the final, all of the border guards died heroically. However they didn’t hand over. All of them will likely be posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine,” he mentioned in feedback on his web site.
On Friday, Russia’s defence ministry mentioned 82 Ukrainian troopers on the island had surrendered to them voluntarily. It made no point out of finishing up strikes or inflicting casualties.
