ODESSA, Ukraine—On the day Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, its flagship Moskva cruiser approached an outcrop of rock within the Black Sea and ordered the Ukrainian troops stationed there to put down their arms or face bombardment and bloodshed.
A couple of seconds handed earlier than the Ukrainian garrison issued its response—“Russian warship, go f— yourself”—prompting a barrage of artillery hearth from the Russian vessel that in the end led the island’s defenders to give up and Moscow to take management.
