The invasion of Ukraine was just a few hours ago when a lone but resolute Ukrainian voice on Snake Island said that Russia’s flagship, the Moskva, was told to “flee to yourself.”
Three months later, the seemingly insignificant rocky outcrop in the Black Sea has earned it an almost mythical status as a symbol of Ukrainian resistance.
But Snake Island has taken on a new meaning in recent weeks: as a possible key to unblocking the global food shortage caused by a Russian blockade on Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.
Without a functioning air defense system, experts say Snake Island’s size and lack of coverage make it almost indefensible.
Russia has tried to strengthen its position. However, Ukraine has carried out bloody raids on its positions, detailed in extraordinary images of drones taken earlier this month.
Andriy Zagorodnyuk, a former defense minister of Ukraine, said that Russian control over the island of snakes “becomes less critical if we destroy everything that comes.”
The former minister, who now advises the Volodymyr Zelensky government, said the island was being used, along with two Russian-controlled oil rigs, to control and block shipping.
“We must deny them access to our territorial waters,” he added. “It’s very urgent from an economic survival perspective if the war goes on.”
The fight against Snake Island has shown that Ukraine’s air presence remains effective, despite suggestions that Russia would completely control the country’s skies within days of its invasion.
The Ukrainian military has deployed Turkish-made Bayraktar drones to attack resupply ships, while its air force has used fighter jets to compensate for serious damage to Russian positions.
Images released by the Ukrainian armed forces on May 8 showed an attack by a drone destroying a Russian helicopter hovering over the island.
Two days earlier, another video showed a Russian short-range missile system and a patrol ship being being shot down.
Video footage of Ukrainian fighter jets destroying Russians is also a powerful tool in the information war.
Stylish videos of victories on the battlefield with accompanying music, quickly released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, have helped boost morale and instill pride.
Moskva Russian Missile Cruise (pictured in 2015) Credit: AFP / Max DELANY / Getty
Clips of defenseless Russians bombarded by heroic Ukrainians have become the calling cards of Ukrainian military operations.
And it all started, no doubt, on Snake Island.
When the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine ended on February 24, Moscow’s flagship landed on the shores of Snake Island.
Faced with death, a brave Ukrainian border guard uttered five words, now symbols of Kyiv’s heroic resistance.
In the full audio clip, Moskva sailors can be heard saying, “This is a Russian military ship. I suggest you lay down your arms and surrender to prevent bloodshed and unnecessary casualties. Otherwise, we will launch an attack from bombs against you “.
It took Roman Gribov a few seconds to decide who would respond with a brief, sweet, simple challenge.
“Well, that’s it,” the Ukrainian told a colleague. “Should I tell him to go to shit? Just in case.”
And then it was done. Your message has been sent. Immortalized words. He himself, his team, and the outpost of Snake Island were from then on symbols of Ukraine’s courageous resistance.
Initial reports said the 13 Ukrainian border guards were killed by the Russians after refusing to surrender. He was posthumously awarded the highest military honor in Kyiv.
Kyiv later said its defenders had been captured and detained by invading forces. They were later returned in a prisoner exchange.
Ukrainian military units wear embroidered patches commemorating snake island defenders Credit: Christopher Furlong / Getty Images
When The Telegraph contacted Ukrainian border guards to arrange an interview, officials said they were not available. The Telegraph understands that Mr Gribov is still in hospital with post-traumatic stress disorder after his time as a Russian prisoner of war.
In the meantime, his words have been immortalized, and can now be found in merchandise, including T-shirts and mugs.
Mr Gribov has even applied for an EU trademark for his infamous reply. The Ukrainians lined up for hours in hopes of getting their own piece of history: a postage stamp commemorating Snake Island.
The design, the result of a national competition, shows a lone Ukrainian soldier on the island, raising his middle finger to the battleship Moskva. The creation of artist Boris Groh became an instant sensation, with a million stamps and 20,000 envelopes sold out.
Many Ukrainians remember where they were when they first heard about Snake Island.
Volodymyr Laktionov, 34, of the Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv on the Black Sea, was at the volunteer center defending his local citizens by making petrol bombs when the original fight for Snake Island was announced.
Mr. Gribov’s vulgar retort has become a cry of resistance in Ukraine, as in this street sign in Odessa Credit: Scott Peterson / Getty Images
“I think I read it in the Telegram,” he told The Telegraph last week while sipping tea at a cafe in Mykolaiv.
“They just said that a Ukrainian soldier had told a Russian warship to ‘go to shit.’ It has been a great motivator for everyone during the war.”
Oleksandr Syenkevych, the mayor of Mykolaiv, echoed snake island defenders when the Russians demanded his surrender a few weeks later Credit: Colin Freeman
The answer “Go to F — Yourself” has become a general slogan of challenge for all Ukrainians. Oleksandr Syenkevych, the mayor of Mykolaiv, issued the same answer a week later when Russian forces tried to capture the city and ordered him to surrender.
“It’s a pretty rude expression, it’s not the kind of thing you would say in front of your mother,” Laktionov added. “But it is quite popular among politicians to use it now: the war has legitimized it.”
She even has a pair of commemorative socks embroidered with “Go F — Yourself” at home. And while they may not last long as memories to pass on to the next generation, they certainly intend to pass on the story of Snake Island.
“If I ever have children, I’ll tell them. It’s a great story of patriotism. “
The importance of Snake Island belies its small size Credit: Aleksey Loginov