Ukraine's Air Force posts video showing former teacher downing Russian missile – video

During a large-scale Russian attack on 17 November, Ukrainian soldier Nataliia Hrabarchuk downed a Russian cruise missile on her first attempt, using a 9K38 Igla portable anti-aircraft missile system. This was her first combat launch, and it proved successful.

Source: Ukraine’s Air Force on Facebook

Details: Until 2021, Nataliia Hrabarchuk worked as a teacher in a preschool educational institution, but she changed her profession and joined the Armed Forces.

Now she serves as an anti-aircraft gunner of the missile unit of the 1st Halychyna and Volhynia Radio Technical Brigade of the Air Command Zakhid (West).

Ukraine’s Air Force shared a video in which Nataliia makes a launch, which destroys a potential threat to Ukrainian cities.

"Natasha, got it!", one of her comrades-in-arms  exclaims joyfully in the background. 

At this moment, the serviceman gets down on her knees and covers her face with her hands in awe.

"When the enemy missile was in front of me, I suppressed my emotions and exhilaration. I conducted hundreds of training launches on simulators. And here it is: the first combat launch, on target!", Natalia shared her impression.

The woman noted that MANPADS were hefty not only in weight (18 kilogrammes), but also in responsibility. As a result, the defender displayed genuine happiness at her first accomplishment.

"I am overjoyed that I succeeded. After combat, I let out some of my feelings. Our mobile fire department involves female service members. We offer everything we've got to get the job done," she said.

Previously, UP reported on the experience of a police officer who met the full-scale invasion in 2022 in Mariupol and then helped to evacuate injured soldiers from Bakhmut and other Donetsk and Luhansk communities.

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