Go F *** Yourself: Ukrainian soldiers tell Russian cruiser, defending Snake Island all got killed

"All border guards died heroically but did not give up. They will be awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine posthumously," Zelensky said, reported CNN.

An audio shared by Ukrayinska Pravda said when the Russian cruiser ordered the Ukrainian soldiers to surrender, or else be fired upon, they responded: 'Go fuck yourself, Russian warship'

At 22:00 (01:00 Moscow Time, UTC+2), the State Border Guard Service announced that Russian forces had captured the island following a naval and air bombardment that destroyed all infrastructure on the island. At least 13 border guards were killed during the battle after refusing to surrender.

Air raid sirens wailed across Ukraine's capital Kiev Thursday as explosions boomed and flashed in cities across the country after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized military action against its western neighbour. Around 40 people are reported to have been killed so far.

President Putin announced the military action early in the morning on Thursday, after weeks of tense buildup, and attracted widespread condemnation from leaders across the world.

Long lines snaked outside of ATMs, supermarkets and gas stations in cities such as Kiev and Mariupol as people scrambled to prepare for what was coming.

Residents and communities across the country were gripped with "severe panic" as Russia on Thursday launched what Ukraine said was a "full-scale attack" against its neighbour, with cities bombarded from the air and forces fighting on the ground.

Russia's Defence Ministry said its first day of the Ukraine invasion was "successful" hours after announcing it had destroyed 74 above-ground military infrastructure facilities, including 11 aerodromes.Ukrainian police said Russia had carried out 203 attacks since the beginning of the day.