Former kindergarten teacher shoots down russian missile

On the morning of Sunday, November 17, servicewoman Nataliia Hrabarchuk destroyed an enemy cruise missile from the Igla MANPADS. It was her first combat launch and first hit.

This is stated in the message of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook.

"When the enemy missile appeared in front of me, I put aside all emotions and worries. I made hundreds of training launches on simulators. And here is the first combat one and on target. The MANPADS weighs about 18 kilograms, and the responsibility is also pressing. I am very glad that I succeeded. Already after the combat work, I gave free rein to my emotions. As part of our mobile fire group, we make every effort to achieve result, we give all our strength," Nataliia said.

In civilian life, Nataliia Hrabarchuk was a preschool teacher. And since 2021, she is an anti-aircraft gunner of the anti-aircraft missile unit of the Galicia-Volyn radio engineering brigade of the West air command.

Natalia completed five-month training courses at the training center and mastered various types of portable anti-aircraft missile systems.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on the night of November 17, the russian federation carried out a massive combined strike on Ukrainian energy facilities with various types of air-, land-, and sea-based missiles, as well as Shahed type attack drones. 210 enemy air targets were identified and escorted: 120 missiles and 90 UAVs.

Anti-aircraft defense worked in almost all regions of Ukraine. As of 12:00 p.m., it was known that 144 air targets were shot down: 102 missiles and 42 UAVs.

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