Ukraine's Snake Island "Zmiinyi" Captured, All Border Guards Killed

The Ukrainian border guards announced the loss of control over the Ukrainian island of Zmiinyi in the Black Sea, which is administratively affiliated to the Odessa region in the south of the country, close to the border with Romania.

"According to the information available, the island of Zmiinyi has been occupied," the border guards said in a Facebook post on Thursday.

They added that they had lost contact with the Ukrainian military and border guards on the island.

"All the defenders of the island of Zmiinyi died but did not surrender. All of them will be named Heroes of Ukraine.” said Ukrainian President Zelensky.

"On our Zmiinyi Island, defending it to the last, all the border guards died heroically. But did not give up. All of them will be posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine," Zelensky said. "May the memory of those who gave their lives for Ukraine live forever."

The Russian Defense Ministry did not issue any official comment on the Russian forces' control of the island.

It is noteworthy that Zmiinyi Island (the island of the snake) is located in the Black Sea, 35 kilometers from the Ukrainian coast, and until 2009 there was a controversy between Ukraine and Romania about sovereignty over it.

This comes against the background of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, which began on the morning of Thursday, February 24.

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