The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has visited Snake island to mark 500 days since Russia’s invasion.
The island became a symbol of Ukrainian defiance after guards refused to surrender to Russian forces on the first day of the war.
In an undated clip which was released on Saturday, Zelenskiy was shown arriving at the island by boat.
Wearing a black hoodie and a camouflage bullet-proof vest, Zelenskiy laid flowers to honour those who defended the island, and thanked all the soldiers who had fought for Ukraine in the months since Russia’s invasion.
“Today we are on Snake Island, which will never be conquered by the occupiers, like the whole of Ukraine, because we are the country of the brave.
“I want to thank, from here, from this place of victory, each of our soldiers for these 500 days.
“And may the freedom that all of our heroes of different times wanted for Ukraine, and which we have to win now, be a tribute to all those who gave their lives for Ukraine.”
Moscow captured Snake Island shortly after launching its invasion on 24 February last year.
A radio exchange went viral in which Ukrainian soldiers told the crew of Russia’s attacking warship, who were demanding their surrender, to “go fuck yourself”. The Ukrainian soldiers were taken prisoner but later exchanged for Russian captives.
The recording of the verbal exchange went around the world and served as a theme for the Ukrainian resistance, even appearing on placards during support rallies abroad and on stamps.
The Russian ship involved, the Moskva, sank in the Black Sea in April last year after what Moscow said was an explosion onboard. Ukraine said it had hit the warship with missiles.
Ukrainian forces recaptured the island in June last year.
