Ukrainian border guards who defended the Snake Island (Odesa region) from the Russian army and who were considered dead are actually alive and are held captive by the Russians, the press service of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.

"Regarding the marines and border guards taken prisoner by the Russian invaders on the Snake Island. We are very pleased to learn that our brothers are alive and everything is fine with them! But Russian propaganda is trying to spin the 'news' that allegedly the Ukrainian authorities 'forgot' and 'buried' her subordinates," the statement said.

It clarifies that the defenders of the Ukrainian island twice repelled the attack of the Russian invaders. For lack of ammunition, they were unable to continue the defense of the island.

The Navy notes that before capturing the Ukrainian defenders, the invaders completely destroyed the infrastructure of the island: a lighthouse, towers, antennas, and the like. Communication with the Snake Island was interrupted.

"Multiple attempts to contact the personnel and find out their fate were in vain. And the constant shelling from the warships and aircraft of the Russian Federation did not allow delivering help to the marines," the Navy said.

They add that on February 26, having received information that there may be dead and wounded among our defenders on the Snake Island, a search and rescue vessel Sapphire was sent to the island to carry out a humanitarian mission to help the victims.

"Priests Vasyl Vyrozub, Oleksandr Chokov and their assistants agreed to go with the crew. But they were illegally captured by the Russians. Illegal seizure of a civilian non-combatant ship that did not carry out any military task is a violation of the rules and customs of war, international humanitarian law. We demand from the Russian Federation the immediate release of illegally captured citizens of Ukraine," the Navy stressed.

The Ukrainian military also appealed to the world community, to believers of all churches, with a request to take all possible measures to influence the Russian Federation in order to return Ukrainian citizens.

"Summing up what has been said, we want to add that the enemy has once again demonstrated its essence. And again proved that there is no faith and truth in its actions and words," the Navy summed up.