Ukraine celebrates its tank-towing farmers with a stamp
A Ukrainian farmer's tractor tows an abandoned Russian tank during an event to celebrate the National Post's release of a new stamp, in a field near Mala Rogan, Kharkiv region, on July 28.
AFP - GENYA SAVILOV
Text by: RFI Follow
3 mins
It is one more communication tool for Ukraine against the Russian invasion: stamps, illustrating images of feats of arms or victories since the beginning of the conflict.
On the occasion of Ukraine's Sovereignty Day, July 28, the National Post issued a new stamp celebrating farmers towing Russian tanks.
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Towed quietly by a tractor as if parked illegally, the Russian armored personnel carrier no longer looks so intimidating, and is even paraded in front of delighted Ukrainians, gathered to celebrate the capture.
This 1970s MT-LB was abandoned at the end of March by Russian forces after their withdrawal from northeastern Ukraine, 30 kilometers from the border between the two countries.
The vehicle was found by smiling tractor driver Vitali Denysenko, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, as he pulls his trophy around a field in the village of Mala Rogan.
“
We needed two tractors to extract it, which we were able to do after the soldiers cleared the field
,” the 44-year-old told a group of journalists gathered to cover the show.
Vitali Denysenko followed the example of other farmers by donating his catch to the Ukrainian army.
"
We can't use it.
What could we do with it?
Drive him to the village disco?
“, he jokes.
Images of Russian tanks and other military vehicles being towed by Ukrainian tractors regularly make the rounds on social media, becoming a symbol of resistance to the invasion launched on February 24.
Ukrainian farmers commandeered so many Russian vehicles from areas occupied and then abandoned by Moscow forces that internet jokes began calling them the "
fifth largest army
" in Europe.
Their courage is now celebrated by the Ukrainian Post, present Thursday in Mala Rogan to launch a new stamp representing a tractor towing a Russian tank under a yellow sky and baptized “
Good night, we are from Ukraine
”.
🇺🇦@ukrposhta is looking to issue a new postage stamp called "Good evening, we're from #Ukraine", devoted to all #Ukrainian tractors that have successfully towed away dozens of #Russian tanks since Feb.24.
#UkraineWar #russiaisaterrorisstate pic.twitter.com/3NW9ErpGCd
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) July 24, 2022
According to Tetyana Fomenko, manager of the Kharkiv regional postal service's stamp collection store, this is the fourth military-themed stamp issued during the war.
The Ukrainian postal service loves symbols of defiance against the Russian army.
In April, it issued a stamp depicting a soldier giving a middle finger to the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet.
This ship, the Moskva, sank after a fire on board which was caused, according to kyiv, by a Ukrainian missile strike.
Russia ensures for its part that the accident is due to an explosion of ammunition on board.
Thursday in kyiv, a huge queue formed in front of the central post office to acquire the latest fashionable stamp, despite the estimated three-hour wait.
Five million copies are to be put on sale.
Part of the money collected from the sale of these stamps must go to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
AFP
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