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Every day, new stories of heroism and bravery in the face of extreme danger emerge out of Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made it clear that his citizens will not go down without a fight and Russian troops appear rattled.

Putting aside the footage of Russian tanks and helicopters and convoys being destroyed by Ukrainian troops, the benchmark for resistance may well have been laid down by the border guards and soldiers on Snake Island (above), or Zmiiniy Island to locals.

You may recall that 13 border guards stationed on the tiny island west of Crimea responded to calls to surrender with the famous phrase, “Russian warship, go f*ck yourself.”

They then came under fire and it was reported that all 13 were killed. Soon after, the Ukrainian navy said they were actually “alive and well” despite being captured by Russian forces.

Let’s jog the memory:

It remains a little unclear if the soldiers are alive or not, but when news first broke Zelenskyy announced he would posthumously award all the soldiers the Hero of Ukraine award.

Their words have become a rallying cry for Ukrainians to give the middle finger to Russia.

A few examples:

‘Russian warship, go fuck yourself.’

New Ukrainian billboard…with some not-too-subtle symbolism. pic.twitter.com/NvdLxbaY3Y

— Nolan Peterson (@nolanwpeterson) March 6, 2022

SO good! Prague’s Ruská (Russian) St., has been unofficially “renamed” Russian warship, go fuck yourself! pic.twitter.com/eXVT1NbQPW

— Ian Willoughby (@Ian_Willoughby) March 8, 2022

Ukrainian road signs part 2:

“Occupants, go fuck yourselves!”

“Russian warship, go fuck yourself! Grab the oars and row!”

“Russian tank, fuck off!” pic.twitter.com/IFF68gtaHf

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) March 12, 2022

The latest tribute to their bravery comes via a new postage stamp. Here’s The Guardian:

Ukraine has chosen the image for a new postage stamp called “Russian warship, go fuck yourself!”

…The illustration by the artist Boris Groh received the most votes in a competition held by the Ukrainian postal service, [first deputy foreign minister Emine] Dzheppar said.

Groh has a personal connection, having previously lived in a city on the Crimean peninsula, just east of Snake Island.

Naturally, there’s a raised middle finger:

The postage stamp named “Russian warship, go f**k yourself!” will appear in🇺🇦. The sketch by artist Boris Groh received the most votes and will soon be published by Ukraine’s state postal company.
🇺🇦✌️#StandWithUkraine#StopRussianAgression pic.twitter.com/ByYAzw2tYq

— Emine Dzheppar (@EmineDzheppar) March 12, 2022

Yup, it’s on the money.

Here’s hoping the soldiers are still alive and they get to see the outpouring of support for their brave act.

[source:guardian]