Lengthy queues have formed outside Kyiv’s central post office after Ukraine's postal service released a special edition stamp showing a soldier giving the finger to Russian cruiser Moskv alongside the words ‘Russia go…!”
Footage shared online shows snaking queues of hundreds of people waiting to get their hands on the stamps.
Within just five days of the stamps going on sale, Ukraine’s national post service Ukrposhta said almost half a million had been sold.
Advert
Check out the queues below:
Posting on Instagram, the postal service said: “It has been five days since the launch of the postage stamp with the ship, and almost half a million copies have already been sold. Circulation was one million, and we do not plan to reprint it. Therefore, each brand will retain its historical value.”
The stamps were designed after Ukrainian border guards, including Roman Hrybov, defied a Russian ship telling them to surrender near Snake Island - and instead hit back with: “Russian warship, go f**k yourself”.
Advert
The new stamps have deleted the expletive from the design, but the meaning remains - as they show a defiant solo soldier sticking his middle finger up at the warship.
Ukrposhta launched a competition to find the design, narrowing it down to a short-list of 50 which were then put to a vote, with the defiant design topping the poll.
Igor Smelyansky, Ukrposhta’s director general said: "It was democratic, just like Ukraine. Even when air raid sirens sound, people refuse to leave their place in the line.”
Advert
He added: “People are in love with it. It reflects the mood around the world towards Russia.”
The stamps have now officially sold out in-store and can only be bought online from tomorrow - but numbers are very limited.
Earlier today, Smelyansky posted an update on Facebook to reveal what will happen to the remainder of the stamps once all sales have ended.
He wrote: “The rest of the edition will be used for official delegations, museum funds, our international obligations within the framework of the Air Force, and on philatelist passes.”
He went on to say all workers at Ukrposhta will also be able to bag themselves one as well as a small number used for ‘marketing actions with Ukrainian manufacturers and entrepreneurs’.
Advert
Although no more of the stamps will be produced, Smelyansky said ‘T-shirts and other branded items will also be available’ both in-store and online ‘very soon’.
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information
Topics: Ukraine, World News
Claire Reid