President Zelensky visits Snake Island as war enters 500th day

Volodymyr Zelensky has posted a video of himself visiting an land that became a awesome of Ukrainian absorption - arsenic the warfare enters its 500th day.

At the commencement of the war, Ukrainian soldiers defending Snake Island famously defied an bid from a Russian warship to surrender.

The Black Sea land was seized by Russia but aboriginal reclaimed by Ukraine.

In a video, the Ukrainian president called it a "place of victory" that would ne'er beryllium reconquered.

In the undated clip, posted connected Telegram, Mr Zelensky described it arsenic impervious that Ukraine volition instrumentality each inch of its territory taken by Russia since the warfare began connected 24 February 2022.

"I privation to convey from here, from this spot of victory, each of our soldiers for these 500 days," Mr Zelensky said successful the video, successful which helium was shown arriving connected the land by vessel and leaving flowers astatine a memorial.

Last year, Russia's flagship Moskva sailed to Snake Island wrong hours of the commencement of the warfare and ordered Ukrainian soldiers connected the land to springiness themselves up.

"I suggest you laic down your weapons and surrender to debar bloodshed and needless casualties. Otherwise, you volition beryllium bombed," said a Russian officer.

The Ukrainian effect and verbal speech went viral arsenic a worker replied telling the Russian warship to "go to hell" - though successful acold cruder language.

Ukrainian forces re-captured the land successful June past year.

Saturday's video comes aft Mr Zelensky spent overmuch of the week visiting European leaders arsenic portion of a diplomatic circuit to ramp up enactment for Ukraine's Nato's membership.