Civilian Ukrainian sailors captured when they tried to rescue the defenders of Snake Island, troops famous for telling a Russian warship to “go f*** yourself” early in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, were released as part of a prisoner exchange Thursday.
Ukraine released 11 Russian sailors captured from a sunken ship near Odesa in exchange for the 19 Ukrainian sailors from a ship called the Sapphire, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereschuk, announced on Telegram. He also said 10 Ukrainian servicemen were exchanged for 10 Russian soldiers and that the ship would be sent to Turkey and returned to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian defenders of Snake Island, also known as Zmiinyi Island, situated in the Black Sea, were hailed as heroes after they were initially reported one month ago to have perished after one told an imposing Russian warship to “go f*** yourself” when they were instructed to lay down their weapons and surrender. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the guards believed to have died as heroes, saying they would be “awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine posthumously.”
UKRAINE CLAIMS REVENGE ON FAMOUS RUSSIAN WARSHIP THAT ATTACKED SNAKE ISLAND
However, after Russia claimed that a garrison at the outpost had voluntarily surrendered to its forces, the Ukrainian Navy said the defenders were “alive and well.” Ukraine’s border guard agency said Thursday that the country hopes to have those soldiers freed as well.
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Ukraine and Russia previously engaged in two other prisoner swaps over the course of the one-month-old war.
One happened March 1, when Ukraine exchanged a Russian military officer for five Ukrainian soldiers, according to NPR. The other was the trade of nine Russian soldiers for the mayor of Melitopol, who was captured last week.
