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Russian invasion of Ukraine (2014/2022 – onwards)

With index of relating pages

Last modified: 2023-03-11 by martin karner
Keywords: ukraine | invasion |
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Commemorative flag related to current Russian invasion

Ukrainian version      Russian version images by Zachary Harden, 22 February 2023


(Notice: the following content may contain language deemed offensive and it is only mentioned in written form for vexillological reference purpose only.)

On February 24, 2022, the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Navy attacked Snake Island, a Ukrainian island in the Black Sea, and captured it along with its entire garrison, beginning a military occupation of the island. The attack was widely publicized when an audio clip of Russian cruiser Moskva hailing the island's garrison over the radio demanding their surrender and being told "Russian warship, go fuck yourself!" (Russian: Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй!, tr. Russky voyenny korabl, idi na khuy, Ukrainian: рускій Ваєнний карабль нахуй!, romanized: russkij voennyj korabl idi na hj!) in response went viral, along with initial inaccurate reports of the garrison's deaths. The expression is attributed to Roman Valentinovych Hrybov (It is important to notice that due to online censorship, the written form of the phrase often varies from the original "иди нахуй" to "(иди) на хуй").
Later on, it emerged that a civilian search and rescue ship trying to evacuate the soldiers was also captured along with the garrison. The ship, its crew, and at least one soldier were subsequently freed in prisoner exchanges.

Following the island's capture, Ukraine launched a campaign against Russian forces on and around the island, deploying anti-ship missiles against Russian naval forces and air, artillery, and missile strikes against Russian positions on the island itself. Russia subsequently withdrew from the island on 30 June 2022, ending the 126-day military occupation of the island. Russian bombing against the island continued thereafter, reportedly causing casualties on the Ukrainian military; this has been denied by Ukraine. The cruiser Moskva itself was sunk on April 14, 2022.

The flag (pictures: Ukrainian, Russian) is a horizontal blue background featuring what seems to be three upward silhouettes with the middle having the shape of a bullet tip but also resembling the Trident in a gesture which very much represents extending the middle finger as an offensive hand gesture. Above, the inscription "РУССКИЙ ВОЕННЫЙ КОРАБЛЬ" and below it reads "НАХУЙ". (Sources: phrase, Snake Island, Moskva)

Esteban Rivera, 21 February 2023

There are a lot of variants of this flag in terms of style; 11 designs just from this website.
Zachary Harden, 22 February 2023


Music Battalion (non-government organization)

Flag

MusBat flag image located by Esteban Rivera, 21 February 2023


Logo

MusBat logo image located by Esteban Rivera, 21 February 2023


The public union "Creative Patriotic Association ‘Music Battalion’", MusBat (Ukrainian: Творче патріотичне об єднання "Музичний Батальйон", МузБат) was established in 2014. As they describe themselves, "(it) is an association of Ukrainian professional musicians and poets, which since 2014 has been supporting the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and volunteer battalions in the zone of the so-called ‘Anti-terrorist operation in the East of Ukraine’ with their songs and fiery words." MusBat is engaged in the popularization of modern Ukrainian song and Ukrainian culture among young people in such complex multicultural regions as the Danube region (southwest Odessa region), Transcarpathia and Donbass (source: https://muzbat.org). They are complex for the strong influence exerted upon those local communities by Russian settlers. Notice: The ато (антитерористичної операції, Anti-terrorist operation), as it is officially called in Ukraine, is the Russian undeclared invasion of Ukraine, which lasted from 2014–2018, starting with the annexation of Crimea and the destabilization process in the East (War in Donbass and establishment of pro-Russian separatist republics, see here and here) and South (Pro Russian demonstrations in Odessa).

The flag is a blue horizontal flag with the logo in the middle, the logo being the Trident featuring a G musical note symbol, all in yellow letters. The logo includes the initials МУЗ БАТ in capitals inside. The flag also has the name of the organization below the logo, also in yellow capital letters.

Esteban Rivera, 21 February 2023