A Ukrainian nursery teacher-turned-soldier took out a Russian cruise missile on her first try, falling to her knees in awe of her debut combat launch.
Incredible footage from the Ukraine Air Force shows Nataliia Hrabarchuk, a volunteer member of Kyiv’s air defense command, standing on top of a roof with a rocket mounted on her shoulder as she helped defend her nation on Sunday during one of Russia’s largest missile barrages to date.
The nursery teacher donned a helmet and vest as she fired a large Igla MANPADS rocket launcher, which soared across the sky and hit its target in a loud explosion.
Hrabarchuk could be seen dropping to her knees and covering her mouth in sheer disbelief at the successful strike as her colleague cheered her on.
“When the enemy missile was in front of me, I threw away all emotions and excitement. I had made hundreds of training launches on simulators. And here – the first combat and on target,” Hrabarchuk said in a statement.
“I am very glad that I managed to do it. After the combat work, I let my emotions out a bit,” she said of her celebration.
“Our mobile firing group includes female soldiers. We make every effort to achieve results and give our best.”
The Ukraine Air Force said Hrabarchuk has served since 2021 as a member of its anti-aircraft gunner unit and had recently completed a five-month training course to master the use of the MANPADS and other types of portable air defense systems.
Hrabarchuk’s successful strike came amid a massive drone and missile barrage launched against Ukraine on Sunday, with the Kremlin firing a total of 120 missiles and 90 drones.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his forces were able to shoot down 140 targets, with some of the Russian weapons killing civilians and damaging energy infrastructure.
The combined drone and missile attack was the most powerful in three months, according to the head of Kyiv’s City Military Administration Serhii Popko.
