Ukraine soldier who told Russian officer to 'go f*** yourself' gets medal

The Ukrainian soldier who told a Russian officer to 'go f*** yourself' has been given a medal by Ukrainian authorities.

Lauded for his courage in the face of death, the Ukrainian soldier who had told a Russian officer 'go f*** yourself' at the beginning of the invasion has been awarded a medal. He was released in a prisoner swap.

Roman Hrybov, a Ukrainian border guard, was serving on Snake Island when it came under the Russian invasion at the very beginning. When the Russians asked the soldiers to lay down their weapons, Hrybov said: "Russian warship, go f*** yourself.”

Initially, it was believed that the Snake Island soldiers were killed, but later it was found that they were captured alive.

Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24. In a televised address as the attack began, Russian President Vladimir Putin said it was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists have been fighting for almost eight years.