Former preschool teacher Natalia Hrabarchuk, now a Ukrainian soldier, successfully destroyed a Russian cruise missile with her first combat shot using an Igla MANPADS during Russia's massive air assault on 17 November, the Ukrainian Air Force reports.
In its combined strike, Russia launched 210 aerial targets at Ukraine's energy infrastructure, including hypersonic Zircon missiles, Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, and over 100 cruise missiles. Ukrainian air defense forces intercepted 144 targets across nearly all regions, with Hrabarchuk's Igla interception highlighting the effectiveness of both sophisticated systems and portable units.
"When the enemy missile appeared before me, I put aside all emotions and anxiety," said Hrabarchuk, who completed an intensive five-month military training program. "I had performed hundreds of practice launches on simulators. And here - my first combat shot was a direct hit!"
Since 2021, Hrabarchuk has been an anti-aircraft gunner in the Galicia-Volyn Radio Technical Brigade under the Western Air Command.
Read more:
- Massive Russian attack on Ukraine’s power grid with 90 drones and 120 missiles causes power outages and casualties
- Russian artillery strikes Dnipro's Nikopol, killing two rail workers, injuring five other civilians
- Ukrainian drones critical in halting Russian advances and inflicting heavy losses, Zelenskyy says
Read Also
-
80% of Moldovans say country is unprepared for attack as Russian drones flow into its airspace, but few back NATO membership
-
Polish SIM cards found inside Russian drones in Poland, raising new questions over 2025 incursion
-
Ukraine’s FM links Russian plague scare to history of cover-ups, from anthrax to Chornobyl and COVID-19
