Credit: DPSU/State Border Service/Cover Images. This video footage, shared by Ukrainian officials on Wednesday, shows troops finding an abandoned cat during minesweeping operations following their retaking of the key strategic outpost of Snake Island. In a post on Telegram, the Ukrainian border force said they had “evacuated” the cat who had “lived for several months” during Russia’s occupation. Russia first took the island in the early days of its invasion of Ukraine in February - when the garrison became national heroes by telling the crew of the Russian warship Moskva to “go f**k yourself” before they took the island - a key strategic asset 40km off Ukraine's south western coast. The vessel, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, was subsequently sunk by Ukrainian forces. Ukraine retook the island on 30 June after Russian forces abandoned their positions. Ukrainian officials wrote that Russian equipment was discovered on the island, including guidance and control systems, Orlan-10 UAV, MANPADS systems, grenade launchers, flamethrowers and small arms. They also removed a Russian flag flying on the island and replaced it with a Ukrainian one.