Kyiv

Ukraine released postage stamps showing a kid defeating a grown man in judo with the phrase “FCK PTN” in Cyrillic added to the lower left part to mark the first anniversary of the Russian invasion.

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The stamp is a reproduction of a mural of England-based street artist Banksy. It draws inspiration from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is known to be a black belt in judo.

The painting was first drawn on a demolished wall in Borodianka town, northwest of Kyiv, where many buildings were reduced to rubble by Russian aircraft at the start of the invasion.

In the mural, the young kid is representing Ukraine knocking down a grown man, aka Russia.

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The new stamps were released on Friday, and drew huge crowds at Kyiv’s main post office.

Among the enthusiasts was a 50-year-old economist, Svetlana, who waited hours to purchase the much-awaited stamps.

“I support the Ukrainian armed forces and the stamp is printed at a historic moment,” she was quoted as saying by Reuters.

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Another buyer was 26-year-old Maxime who said that she was delighted to see a “first stamp from one of Banksy’s works”.

“It’s a very cool gesture for the world to understand Ukraine, that we remain in the spotlight,” she was quoted as saying.

Earlier, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the Ukrainians to mark the sombre anniversary.

It was Ukraine’s “longest day,” Zelensky noted.  “We have been standing for exactly one year. Feb. 24, 2022, was the longest day of our lives. The hardest day of our modern history. We woke up early and haven’t fallen asleep since.”

Zelensky, who become the symbol of Ukraine’s resistance, said Ukrainians proved themselves to be invincible during “a year of pain, sorrow, faith and unity.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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