Ukranian border guards thought to have been killed while defending a tiny island in the Black Sea from Russian troops may still be alive, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine says.
, but in a statement released on Sunday, Ukraine's State Border Guard said there were "strong beliefs that all Ukrainian defenders of Zmiiniy Island may be alive".
On Friday, Russia's Defence Ministry said 82 Ukrainian soldiers on the island had surrendered to them voluntarily, making no mention of carrying out strikes or inflicting casualties.Ukraine's State Border Guard offered a different account, accusing Russia of using "naval weapons" and "combat aircraft on border guards and soldiers".
"Prior to that, the enemy repeatedly tried in vain to intimidate Ukrainian defenders with demands to surrender and received only one correct answer — no-one will surrender." "We sincerely hope that the boys will return home as soon as possible, and the information received at the time of the attack on the death will not be confirmed."