New Ukrainian stamp honours soldiers who told Russian warship ‘Go f— yourself’

The Ukrainian Postal Service has introduced a new postage stamp that memorializes the moment Ukrainian soldiers told a Russian warship “go f— yourself” when asked to surrender.

“Ukraine national mail service reveals new postage stamp titled ‘Russian warship, go f— yourself!‘” reads a March 13 post on the official Ukrposhta Facebook page.

The image, which is quickly racking up shares, depicts a drawing of a lone soldier flipping a middle finger to a warship in the distance.

Ukrposhta announced the winning design after holding a public vote on social media for a postage stamp competition.

The artist of the winning design, Borys Grokh, told Ukrposhta he was so inspired by the soldier’s refusal to give in to the Russian ship that he decided to submit a design.

The 13 border guards were defending the tiny Snake Island, also known as Zmiinyi Island, in the Black Sea during the first days of Russia’s multi-pronged invasion.

In a recording, a Russian official told the Snake Island guards: “This is a military warship. This is a Russian military warship. I suggest you lay down your weapons and surrender to avoid bloodshed and needless casualties. Otherwise, you will be bombed.”

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Two Ukrainian guards were are heard speaking between themselves before one of them responded “Russian warship, go f— yourself.”

The group was initially reported to have died, but Ukrainian officials announced later they could still be alive and held by Russian forces.

The phrase has since become a motto and rallying cry of sorts for Ukrainian people, with the slogan seen on traffic signs and billboards across the war torn nation.

Grokh, a professional painter, told Ukrposhta that it took him several days to create his painting, saying it would have been done in mere hours if he hadn’t been so distracted by news reports.

Grokh used to live in a city on the Crimean peninsula, just east of Snake Island. He is now in Lviv, in western Ukraine.