Ukrainian Soldier Creates Twitter Account Just to Contact Musk

Serhiy Volyna only recently created a Twitter account, and he's so far tweeted just once and is following just one person. That person is Elon Musk, who was also the subject of the Ukrainian commander's one tweet, reports the AFP. "People say you come from another planet to teach people to believe in the impossible," tweeted Volyna, who, along with his troops in Ukraine's 36th Separate Marine Brigade, is trapped by Russian forces in the Azovstal steel plant in the besieged port city of Mariupol. "Our planets are next to each other, as I live where it is nearly impossible to survive."

Hundreds of Ukrainian troops hunkered down in the tunnels beneath the steel plant have vowed to "stand till the end," per one commander's wife. Civilians have been evacuated, but the scene is being described as "increasingly desperate" for those who remain. Volyna, who says he created the Twitter account solely to communicate with Musk, Twitter's new owner if the deal goes through, issued his final plea in the last part of his Wednesday message. "Help us get out of Azovstal to a mediating country," he wrote. "If not you, then who? Give me a hint." It doesn't appear Musk has yet responded. (More Elon Musk stories.)