Ukrainians sink Russian warship that attacked Snake Island – report

The Russian warship that bombed Snake Island in the Black Sea on the first day of the invasion of Ukraine has been destroyed, The Times of London reported on Tuesday.

The report, quoting Ukrainian military sources, said that the large patrol corvette Vasily Bykov was destroyed in a missile attack near the port city of Odesa early Monday.

On February 24, the Russian naval vessel had asked Ukrainian border guards on Snake Island — some 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the border with Romania — to surrender or “be hit with a bomb strike.”

“Russian warship, go fuck yourself,” a Ukrainian border guard replied.

The warship shelled the island in response and the soldiers were reported to have been killed.

However, the Ukrainian Navy later said it believed the 13 soldiers survived the attack and were captured by Russian forces.

Ukrainian small boats lured the Russian patrol boat Vasily Bykov to a camouflaged firing position, where it was shelled. pic.twitter.com/X4weCDacrc

— Ukraine Reporter (@StateOfUkraine) March 7, 2022

Videos shared on social media showed the rocket exchange when the Russian ship was targeted. The video is believed to have been released by the Ukrainian Navy.

The video showed a conversation taking place between two men targeting the ship.

“We fucking hit them,” one of the men is heard saying. The second man invokes the Ukrainian soldier’s words from when the island was attacked, saying: “Russian warship, go fuck yourself.”

The Ukrainian Navy later said on Facebook: “The enemy has retreated again.”