A former kindergarten teacher was honored with an award from Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov for shooting down a Russian missile during her first combat launch.
Ukrainian soldier Natalia Grabarchuk, who completed a five-month training course before the mission, precisely launched the “Igla” anti-missile device to destroy a Russian cruise missile in the Rivne region.
The mission, captured on video, was shared by the Ukrainian Air Forces on Sunday (20).
In the video, Grabarchuk is seen operating the anti-aircraft missile, resting the device on her shoulder before firing it. A cloud of smoke can be seen, followed by the sound of a large explosion. Natalia falls to her knees when congratulated by her colleagues.
“Good job!” they say in the video. “You got it right, Natalia, you got it right!”
Reacting to the successful mission, Grabarchuk said he was “very happy” to have managed to hit Russia’s missile, stating that he “discarded all emotions” during the mission. “After combat work,” he continued, “I let my emotions run wild.”
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Rustem Umerov called the former kindergarten teacher and her colleagues Olga Makisimenko and Valentina Steblevts “incredible defenders” and “a symbol of professionalism and courage.”
Thanking them for their service, the post called the mission and video “an inspiring moment for everyone.”
This content was originally published in Video: Former kindergarten teacher from Ukraine shoots down Russian missile on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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