War on Truth: 8. Tetyana: ‘My son is the Snake Island hero’

On the first day of the war, Ukraine gained a new patriotic hero and Tetyana thought she had lost a son. But the story wasn't quite as it first seemed.

Tetyana’s son, Roman became world famous for defiantly swearing at a Russian warship which had threatened to bomb him and his fellow border guards on Snake Island, if they didn’t surrender.

A recording of the exchange went viral and the Ukrainian government declared that Roman and his comrades had died as national heroes.

Tetyana was plunged into grief as her son was celebrated as a symbol of national resistance.

But, as she recounts, events soon took an unexpected turn.

The ramifications of what actually happened at Snake Island have become a battleground in the information war that is being fought over Ukraine, alongside the military battle. And like the conflict on the ground, this fight also has real consequences for the people whose lives it touches.

In this podcast series, BBC disinformation reporter Marianna Spring investigates stories from Ukraine, Russia, and around the world, and hears from those caught up in the battle for the truth.

Producers: Ant Adeane and Joseph Martin

Editor: Ed Main