Ukrainian border guards have installed a new border sign in Fidonisi, paying tribute to their colleagues who sent a resounding message of resistance when they were attacked by a Russian warship in the early hours of the invasion by Moscow’s forces.

“The next border sign will be placed in the Ukrainian Crimea after its liberation by the Russian troops,” declares a uniformed at the border post with the colors of the Ukrainian flag, in a video shared yesterday Saturday by the head of the Border Guard Serhiy Daineko on Facebook.

Fidonisi became synonymous with the Ukrainian resistance a few hours after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, when the cruiser Moskva sent an ultimatum to the Ukrainian border guards stationed there to surrender in order not to be bombed.

The border guards’ response “Russian warship, c@@@” became a slogan on social media, posted on billboards in Ukraine, printed on T-shirts and even a stamp.

The strategically important Fidonisi is located on Ukraine’s border with Romania, on the sea route to Odessa, the largest Ukrainian port on the Black Sea.

On April 14, 2022, two Ukrainian missiles hit the cruiser Moskva, the largest Russian naval ship sunk by attack in 40 years. Officially, Moscow said one crew member was killed in an “accident”. Western experts estimate that nearly half of the approximately 450 crew members perished.

On June 30, 2022, Russian forces withdrew from Fidonisi, after suffering heavy losses in their attempt to defend it. Russia’s defense ministry described the withdrawal of its troops as a “goodwill gesture”.

Russian forces still hold considerable territory in eastern and southern Ukraine, while the Ukrainian military has launched a counteroffensive to liberate them.

“Historical justice is being restored,” Daineko underlined in his post, assuring that “Ukraine will definitely win.”