A Ukrainian nursery teacher-turned-soldier made an incredible debut in combat, successfully shooting down a Russian cruise missile on her first attempt.
The emotional moment was captured on video, showing Nataliia Hrabarchuk, a volunteer member of Kyiv’s air defence command, as she launched a missile from a rooftop during one of Russia’s largest missile barrages on Sunday.
In the footage released by the Ukraine Air Force, Hrabarchuk can be seen standing firmly with a rocket launcher on her shoulder, wearing a helmet and protective vest. The giant Igla MANPADS rocket soared across the sky, hitting its target in a loud explosion.
Overcome with emotion, Hrabarchuk dropped to her knees, covering her mouth in disbelief at her successful strike. Her colleague cheered her on as she processed the moment.
“When the enemy missile was before 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 later shared in a statement. “I am happy that I managed to do it. After the combat work, I let my emotions out a bit,” she added.
Hrabarchuk, who has been serving in Ukraine’s air defence since 2021, recently completed a five-month training course to master the MANPADS system and other air defence tools.
She is part of a mobile firing group that includes female soldiers, emphasising their commitment to the defence effort.
Her successful missile strike occurred during a massive Russian drone and missile barrage on Sunday, which saw the Kremlin launching 120 missiles and 90 drones against Ukraine.
Despite the overwhelming attack, Ukrainian forces managed to shoot down 140 targets, although some of the Russian missiles caused civilian casualties and significant damage to energy infrastructure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the defence’s success, while Kyiv’s City Military Administration Head, Serhii Popko, described the combined missile and drone assault as the most powerful in three months.
