13 Ukrainian Soldiers On Zmiinyi Island Are Still Alive, Even Though President Volodymyr Has Praised Them For Heroically Killing Against Russia

JAKARTA - The war that is raging in Ukraine is not just a story about the whistling of bullets and long-range missile attacks. But the problem of misguided information alias hoaxes can also be found.

February 25, when Russia was just beginning its series of invasions of Ukraine. Circulating a very heroic story happened on Zmiinyi (Snake) Island. The island is located about 30 miles off the coast of Ukraine and is less than 0.1 square miles in area.

13 Ukrainian border guards confronted Russian warships. You can already imagine how terrible the situation was at that time.

"We are Russian warships. I ask you to lay down your arms and surrender to avoid unnecessary bloodshed and death. Otherwise, you will be bombed", the Russian military said at the time.

“Russian warship, go f*** yourself,” replied one of the Ukrainian soldiers.

He said those were the last words heard from the Ukrainian soldier. After that, they were killed by the Russian troops.

This news has been widely written by many international media. No less classmate Fox News and The Telegraph also wrote this thrilling story.

As a tit for tat, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the 13 Ukrainian border guards who died after refusing to surrender to a Russian warship. They will even be given promotions and receive "Heroes of Ukraine", the highest honor the country can bestow.

The 13 soldiers on Zmiinyi Island are still alive

It turned out that the news of the death of 13 soldiers was wrong. The Ukrainian Navy says 13 soldiers believed to have died defending Zmiinyi (Snake) Island on the first day of the Russian invasion are still alive.

The Ukrainian Navy confirmed in a Facebook post that "our comrades in arms are alive and well". Border guards and marines on the island braved the Russian invaders' attacks, but were unable to continue fighting because they ran out of ammunition, he said, according to the BBC.

The Ukrainian navy also accused Russian troops of illegally detaining the crew of a civilian search and rescue ship that Ukraine sent to the island on a humanitarian mission after the attack, as well as the two priests who accompanied them.

"The illegal seizure of a non-combatant civilian ship not carrying out a military mission is a violation of the rules and customs of war and international humanitarian law", he warned.

A spokesman for Russia's defense ministry announced on Friday that 82 Ukrainian servicemen "laid down their weapons and voluntarily surrendered" on Zmiinyi Island, without specifying whether Russian warships carried out the attack or caused any casualties.

He said the prisoners were "requested to sign an agreement not to take part in hostilities" and would be "returned to their families soon".