The Ukrainian Snake Island border guard, who uttered the now-iconic line “Russian warship, go f**k yourself“, has returned home to Cherkasy, after being released from captivity. He’s also been awarded for his bravery. 

Snake Island is strategically located in the Black Sea and its distance from Crimea makes it a potential hotspot to be captured. Russia sent its navy and when the warships told soldiers to lay down their weapons, the Ukrainians replied with defiance. 

Since then, “Russian warship, go f**k yourself” has become the rallying cry of Ukrainians fighting the invasion. Even the site set up to welcome foreign volunteers to join Ukraine’s troops allows countries from all over the world to sign up, except for Russia, which is greeted with this message. 

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Initially, all soldiers were feared dead, but then the Ukrainian Navy confirmed they were alive and in Russian captivity. As per the navy’s statement, the soldiers had to surrender due to the lack of ammunition. 

Ukraine has already honoured the brave soldiers of Snake Island with a stamp. The nation’s postal service started a competition keeping in mind the ongoing war with Russia. An overwhelming number of submissions arrived, capturing the courage of the troops in face of Russia’s attack. 

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Since Russia began the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, there have been many such instances of individual courage. President Volodymyr Zelensky leads in this regard, having turned down the US offer to evacuate, saying he needed ammunition, not a ride. 

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Now, Russia and Ukraine might be close to reaching some agreement as both sides have shown greater commitment to peace talks. At the most recent meeting in Turkey, both Russian and Ukrainian envoys brought up the possibility of Zelensky meeting counterpart Vladimir Putin. Earlier, Zelensky had proposed a meeting with the Russian president, saying all issues would be on the table, and it would be a compromise for all.