Snake Island campaign

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Battle of Snake Island
Part of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Date24 February 2022
Location
Snake Island, Ukraine
Result

Russian victory

  • Snake Island's security infrastructure was destroyed by the Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet.
  • All 13 Ukrainian border guards were killed.
Belligerents

Ukraine Ukraine

Russia Russia
Units involved
State Border Guard[1]

Russian Navy

Strength
13 border guards

1 missile cruiser

1 patrol boat

Casualties and losses
All 13 border guards killed None

The Battle of Snake Island took place on 24 February 2022 on Snake Island (Ukrainian: Острів Зміїний, romanized: Ostriv Zmiinyi) during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Attack

At around 18:00 local time, Ukrainian State Border Guards announced that Snake Island, located in Ukrainian territorial waters in the Black Sea, had come under attack from Russian ships, during the first day of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[2][3] The cruiser Moskva and patrol boat Vasily Bykov were involved in the attack, using their deck guns.[4]

According to audio shared by the Ukrayinska Pravda, when the Russian warship identified itself and instructed the Ukrainian soldiers stationed on the island to surrender, their response was "Go fuck yourself, Russian warship" (Russian: 'Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй', romanized: Russkiy voyennyy korabl', idi na khuy).[5][6]

Later in the evening, the State Border Guard Service stated that communication with the island had been lost[7] and at 22:00 (01:00 Moscow Time, UTC+2), announced that Russian forces had captured the island following a naval and air bombardment that destroyed all infrastructure on the island.[8][9] Thirteen border guards, representing the entirety of the Ukrainian military presence on the island, were killed during the battle after refusing to surrender.[10][11] One of the Ukrainian soldiers live-streamed the moment that the Russian warship opened fire.[12]

On the same day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that all thirteen guards will be posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine, the highest Ukrainian military title.[6]

Reaction

The Ukrainian border guards defiant last words "Russian warship, go fuck yourself" went viral and became a rallying cry for Ukrainians and their supporters around the world.[13] The Week compared the phrase to "Remember the Alamo" from 19th century Texas.[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Zmiinyi Island In Black Sea Attacked From Russian Ships - Border Service". ukranews_com. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  2. ^ Зубкова, Даша (24 February 2022). "Zmiinyi Island In Black Sea Attacked From Russian Ships - Border Service". Ukrainian News Agency. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  3. ^ "Ukrainian soldier deployed on Snake Island live streamed the moment a Russian warship opened fire on the Island. All 13 soldiers lost their lives". Twitter. @PokiRae_. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Russian Navy Captures Ukraine's Outpost on Snake Island". The Maritime Executive. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  5. ^ ""Русский корабль, иди на х.й!": захисники Зміїного відповіли ворогові" ["Russian ship, go on f.y!": Defenders of the Serpent responded to the enemy]. Українська правда (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  6. ^ a b Lister, Tim; Pennington, Josh (24 February 2022). "Russia invades Ukraine". CNN. p. Audio emerges appearing to be of Ukrainian fighters defending island from Russian warship. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  7. ^ "Ukrainians trapped on Snake Island to the Russians demanding their surrender: 'go f*ck yourself.'". 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  8. ^ "Острів Зміїний захопили російські окупанти - ДПСУ" [Snake Island was captured by the Russian occupiers - SBGS]. Gazeta UA. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  9. ^ Hallam, Johnny (24 February 2022). "Ukraine's State Border Guard says island south of country's coast falls into Russian hands". CNN. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  10. ^ "Ukraine's Snake Island under attack, border guards took up defense". UATV. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  11. ^ "13 Ukrainian border guards killed in Russian take-over of Snake Island in the Black Sea, near the Romanian border - official". Twitter. BNO News. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  12. ^ "One of 13 killed on Ukrainian island live-streamed attack". Newsweek. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  13. ^ Ziezulewicz, Geoff (25 February 2022). "Ukrainians trapped on Snake Island to the Russians demanding their surrender: 'go f*ck yourself.'". Navy Times. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  14. ^ "How 'Russian warship, go f--k yourself' became Ukraine's 'Remember the Alamo!'". The Week. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
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