(Sorry, I know know the site's rules on vulgarity, especially in headlines. In this case, it's a historical quote.)
The feisty Ukrainian retort was so much played for laughs at the time, but we may not have realized that they figured it meant death. Here's a more in-depth version, if anyone is interested.
‘Russian warship, go fuck yourself’: what happened next to the Ukrainians defending Snake Island?
When Putin’s forces approached a tiny Black Sea outpost, demanding its Ukrainian defenders surrender or die, their expletive-laden response became a symbol of resistance. How did the men on the island live to tell the tale?
The Guardian
By Luke Harding
Russian warship: “Snake Island. I, Russian warship, repeat the offer: lay down your arms and surrender, or you will be bombed. Have you understood me? Do you copy?”
First border guard to second border guard: “Well, that’s it then. Or do we need to tell them back to fuck off?”
Second border guard to first border guard: “Might as well.”
First border guard: “Russian warship, go fuck yourself.”
Soon after the conversation, the Ukrainian military command lost contact with the island. It assumed all of its defenders had been killed.
www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/19/russian-warship-go-fuck-yourself-ukraine-snake-island