The ‘go f*** yourself’ Ukrainian soldiers on Snake Island are alive, navy says

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The Ukrainian navy said on Monday that the soldiers guarding Snake Island -- who were earlier reported to have died after recording an expletive-laced message to the invading Russian troops -- are "alive and well."

The navy said on Facebook that the soldiers defending Snake Island in the Black Sea, also known as Zmiinyi Island, are alive and in Russian custody. 

Snake Island is a small island that is strategically vital for Ukraine's territorial seas defence and is one of the country's southernmost communities.

According to the Facebook post, Russia destroyed the island's infrastructure, including lighthouses, towers, and antennae, and seized a civilian ship. 

"We are very happy to learn that our brothers are alive and well," the post said.

As a result, communication with the island was cut off.

"Repeated attempts to contact the staff and find out their fate have been in vain. And the constant shelling by warships and aircraft of the Russian Federation has prevented us from delivering aid to the marines."

"Go f*** yourself," a Ukrainian soldier guarding the island had urged a Russian vessel that came to strike them last week in a show of defiance.

Last Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that all of the island's defenders had been killed. 

(With inputs from agencies)