Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

The defiant soldiers of Snake Island are actually 'alive and well,' says Ukraine's navy

Share

The Ukrainian defenders of Snake Island -- who were all feared dead after their defiant response to threats from a Russian warship -- are actually "alive and well," according to the Ukrainian Navy.

All of the soldiers on the tiny island in the Black Sea were thought to have been killed in an attack on the first day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last Thursday.

According to a purported audio exchange, one of the Ukrainian troops had responded to a warning from an approaching Russian vessel to lay down their weapons or face bombing by saying, "Russian warship, go f*** yourself."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said later on Thursday that 13 soldiers on Snake Island all died "heroically" by Russian bombardment. But -- after the Ukrainian border guard said that it had information disputing the deaths -- from the country's navy suggested this was certainly not the case.

According to the navy the soldiers on the island repelled two attacks by Russian forces but in the end were forced to surrender "due to the lack of ammunition."

The statement added that Russian attackers have completely destroyed the island's infrastructure, including lighthouses, towers and antennas.

Russian state media also showed the arrival of the Ukrainian soldiers in Sevastopol, Crimea where they are being held.

Snake Island, also known as Zmiinyi Island, sits about 30 miles (48 kilometres) off the southern tip of the Ukrainian mainland in the northwestern Black Sea. It's about 185 miles west of Crimea, the Ukrainian territory that Russia annexed in 2014.

Though it is only about 46 acres (18 hectares) in size, a report last year from the non-partisan Atlantic Council think tank called it "key to Ukraine's maritime territorial claims" in the Black Sea.

Highlighting its strategic importance, Zelensky chose Snake Island last year as the spot for an interview with Ukrainian media in advance of a summit to try to reverse Russia's annexation of Crimea, the Atlantic Council report said.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.