On April 12, 2022, Ukrposhta presented and put into circulation the first in martial law conditions postage stamps with a “Russian warship, go…!” slogan. This phrase is the response of Ukrainian border guards, defenders of Zmiinyi Island, to the Russian’s ship offer to surrender on the day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. It became a symbol of courage and indomitable spirit of the Ukrainian people in the fight against Russia. Unfortunately, the legendary phrase was censored for official postal products.

In Kyiv, a special cancellation with the First Day marking took place at the Main Post Office with the participation of Ukrposhta Director General Ihor Smilianskyi and the author of the phrase, the defender of Zmiinyi Island Roman Hrybov. At the same time, cancellations of special stamps “Russian warship, go…!” took place in all regions of Ukraine.

Crimean Borys Grokh, the author of the sketch of the First Day postage stamp and envelope and the winner of the people’s contest for the best postage stamp sketch, took part in the special cancellation ceremony in Lviv. Borys’s work garnered the most votes, with 8,000 Facebook and Instagram users voting for it. Until 2014, Boris lived in Evpatoria. After the occupation of Crimea, he was forced to move to Lviv.

“Ukrainian philately during the war is a reflection of the events happening to our state and our people. The phrase that inspired us to create a postage stamp has already become a symbol of the invincibility of the Armed Forces, volunteers, Territorial Defense, all Ukrainians in the struggle for their land and independence of Ukraine. I am sure that both Ukrainians and our friends from abroad will be happy to receive letters with such a postage stamp. And today, in such a postal way, we once again remind the occupiers that they should immediately leave our land and follow their ship, “said Ukrposhta General Director Ihor Smilianskyi.

Postage stamp “Russian warship, go…!” issued by Ukrposhta in two denominations – to pay for postal items in Ukraine (face value F, equivalent to UAH 23) and to pay for items sent abroad (face value W, equivalent to US $ 1.5). The corresponding First Day envelope was issued for the stamp in 20 thousand copies.

Buy postage stamps “Russian warship, go…!” available in Ukrposhta branches and in the philatelic online store.

Currently, philatelists from around the world seem to have almost overloaded the online store of Ukrposhta, it works very slowly.