Ukrainian border guard service working to retrieve defenders of Zmiinyi island: "Ukraine leaves no one behind"

VALENTYNA ROMANENKO — TUESDAY, 1 MARCH 2022, 12:51

Ukrainian border guard service together with the Ukrainian armed forces exhaust all the possibilities to get any information on the fate of the border guards and marines, who bravely defended Zmiinyi island.

Source: spokesman of the Ukrainian border guard service, Andryi Demchenko, in his video brief on March 1

Quote: "As of now we have involved international humanitarian missions to get the list of all man who are now captivated by the enemy.

I will admit, analyzing the Russian Federation video footage, we have identified most of the defenders.

Of course, Russian Federation tries to use them in its propaganda campaign, we understand, that captivity is not the best place to be and demoralize combat troops. But be sure, Ukraine doesn’t leave anyone behind. We do everything we can to return them.

Glory to Zmiinyi defenders! Glory to Ukraine!".

Details: the defenders of Zmiinyi island have become the symbol of bravery before overwhelming forces.

In addition, Ukrainian officials received information that Zmiinyi defenders might be alive. The reason might be the statement of the Russian side on 82 Ukrainian serviceman held in captivity.

Russian news agencies report that Ukrainian defenders were transported to temporarily occupied Sevastopol, Crimea.

Demchenko said that information about 13 dead border guards was released previously after the island was shelled by the Russian naval vessel and connection was lost.

After that, a civil rescue ship "Sapphire" went to check on the fate of the guards, but the ship was illegally seized by Russian forces.