Hotskiy arrived just before Christmas, at a time of new imperial threat. It was obvious that the territory would be hard to defend in the event of a large-scale Russian attack. So great was the concern that Zelenskiy came to see for himself, dropping in twice by helicopter. Fifty soldiers were sent as reinforcements. The island’s population grew to eighty, including the border service men and two janitors. There were dogs, feral cats, and seagulls.
