A group of Ukrainian soldiers on Snake Island who were initially thought to have been killed after telling a Russian warship to "go f*** yourself" are alive, the Ukrainian navy has confirmed.
According to the Ukrainian navy's Facebook post, the 13 soldiers were "taken captive by Russian occupiers.
"We are very happy to learn that our brothers are alive and well."
Last week, Ukrainian officials announced that the soldiers had died from Russian forces opening fire with barreled gunships and airstrikes, as well as the cutting off of all communication on the 42-acre island.
The story of the soldiers made headlines last week due to an audio clip that had surfaced between the soldiers and Russian forces, as the New York Post reported.
A voice was heard saying, "This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down your weapons and surrender to avoid bloodshed and unnecessary victims. Otherwise you will be bombed."
But the Ukrainians replied, "Russian warship, go f*** yourself."
After the clip had gone viral, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised to decorate the presumed dead border guards with the country's highest honor.
"On our Zmiinyi Island, defending it to the last, all the border guards died heroically. But they did not give up. All of them will be posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.
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