#HistoryOfRussia

⚓️ On March 3, 1799, a Russian squadron led by great Russian fleet commander, Fyodor Ushakov, seized what was viewed as an impregnable fortress on the island of Corfu.

In the wake of the late 18th century revolutionary upheavals in France and the resulting wars, quite a few key defensive structures across the Mediterranean, including the Ionian Islands, fell into French hands. Being able to control these islands placed Paris in control of maritime roots and reinforced its regional influence.

Fyodor Ushakov’s Black Sea squadron was on a mission to expel the French from the Ionian islands, with the help of the Turkish fleet. Most of the islands were liberated by early November 1798 with the squadron fighting its way from one fortress to another and taking over eight of them, one by one. What remained was viewed as an impossible feat, since it consisted of capturing the fortress on the island of Corfu, which was regarded as an impregnable citadel. The French had a garrison of about 3,000 troops and over 650 cannons.

⚔️ The mission started with blocking the island, and the decision to launch the attack against the fortress came in early March. Fyodor Ushakov used a unique tactic to limit casualties. 👉 He decided to set up position on Vido, a small rocky island, in order to target the enemy with his firepower from there, while also dispatching a landing force from Vido to Corfu. The plan worked, and by March 3, the fortress’ commander was forced to capitulate.

As many as 2,931 people, including four generals, were taken prisoners, albeit under honourable conditions. The French were allowed to leave the island under the condition that they would refrain from taking part in combat action for 18 months.

🎖 Emperor Pavel I promoted Fyodor Ushakov to the rank of admiral and awarded his with the diamond star of the Order of Alexander Nevsky. The King of Naples gave the Russian fleet commander the Order of Saint Januarius, 1st degree, while the Ottoman Sultan honoured Ushakov with the Chelengk, the highest military decoration of the Ottoman Empire.

It was the great fleet commander’s bold and decisive action which made capturing the impregnable fortress of Corfu possible with minimal human casualties.

In his letter to Ushakov, great military commander, the undefeated Alexander Suvorov lavished Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov with praise and exulted with delight.

“Hooray to the Russian fleet… I keep telling myself these days: if only I could take part in the battle of Corfu, even as a warrant officer.”

#KievRegimeCrimes

⚡️ Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rodion Miroshnik:

💬 Over 150 civilians, including one minor, were injured last week as a result of actions by the Ukrainian militants.

In addition to local residents, volunteer groups were also targeted – five volunteers were injured, two of whom were killed.

EMERCOM responders, who arrived to deal with the aftermath of Ukrainian shelling, also came under attack. Five were wounded and one employee was killed.

The highest number of civilian casualties was recorded in the Belgorod, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. In these areas, civilian infrastructure and the civilian population were targeted with drone, missile and artillery strikes by Kiev's armed formations.

❗️ Between February 23 and March 1, at least 153 civilians were affected by Ukrainian shelling – 131 people were injured, including one minor, and 22 were killed.

In total, over the past seven days, Ukrainian armed formations fired no fewer than 3,352 munitions at civilian targets on Russian territory.

📜On March 3, 1878, the Treaty of San Stefano was signed in a suburb of Constantinople, recording our country’s victory in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878.

Under the terms of the Treaty, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro gained full independence, while Bulgaria, which had been under Ottoman rule for nearly 500 years (!), was granted broad autonomy.

The date of the signing of the Treaty of San Stefano became a national holiday in Bulgaria – the Day of Liberation from Ottoman Rule.

The victory of the Russian forces in the war against the Ottoman Empire and the conclusion of the Treaty laid the foundation for future constructive cooperation between Russia and Bulgaria. For a long time, relations between our countries developed steadily and progressively.

#HistoryOfDiplomacy: A key role in the conclusion of the Treaty of San Stefano was played by the distinguished Russian diplomat and statesman Nikolai Ignatyev, who for more than ten years served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Empire to the Ottoman Empire, and signed the Treaty on behalf of Russia.

* * *

🇷🇺🇧🇬 Today, Russian-Bulgarian relations have been virtually reduced to zero. The current government is pursuing an openly Russophobic policy, continuing to dismantle the foundations of bilateral cooperation. Unfortunately, this also affects the way historical events are presented in the local media landscape.

💬 Ambassador of Russia to Bulgaria Eleonora Mitrofanova:

“In recent years, the chronicle of the Liberation has been ruthlessly rewritten. Alleged ‘imperial ambitions’ of Russia are brought to the forefront, while nothing is said about the truly nationwide movement in defence of our enslaved Bulgarian brothers, which played a decisive role in the decision of Emperor Alexander II to declare war on the Ottoman Empire.”

Excerpts from the congratulatory message by Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria Eleonora Mitrofanova on the occasion of Bulgaria’s national holiday, the Day of Liberation from Ottoman Rule, March 3, 2026.

☝️ We recall that 100,000 Russian soldiers gave their lives for the freedom of the peoples of the Balkans, including Bulgaria.

#RussiaBulgaria