Banksy mural of Putin being flipped during judo match turned into Ukrainian stamp

A mural by Bristol's most famous graffiti artist Banksy has been turned into a stamp by Ukraine to mark the first anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.

The mural shows a man resembling Russian President Vladimir Putin being flipped during a judo match with a young boy.

The original artwork was created on a house that was destroyed by Russian shelling in the town of Borodyanka, near the capital Kyiv.

A phrase with an abbreviated expletive addressing the Russian leader has been added to the bottom left corner of the stamps.

Banksy's mural has become a beacon of hope for many Ukrainians, who see it as a metaphor for the country's fierce resistance to the Russian invasion, which began on 24 February 2022.

Queues were reported in Kyiv on Friday as residents rushed to buy the new stamps from the main post office, Holovposhtamt.

Last year, Banksy released a moving video of seven new murals on crumbling buildings in Ukraine.

His artwork appeared in several Ukrainian towns that had been among the worst hit during the ongoing war.

Borodyanka, located northwest of the capital, was one of the towns hardest hit by Russia’s bombardment at the beginning of the invasion.

Russian soldiers invaded in February of this year, occupying the town for weeks before it was liberated in April.

Since then, it has been the focus of reconstruction efforts, with several tower blocks demolished as a result of damage caused by the fighting.

Banksy has repeatedly supported Ukraine during the last year. In December, he released and sold 50 limited-edition prints, with all the proceeds going to support the people of Ukraine.