Watch: Ukrainian nursery teacher takes out Russian missile

Nataliia Hrabarchuk, now a soldier, falls to her knees in delight as she destroys weapon at first attempt

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A Ukrainian soldier was filmed appearing to successfully shoot down a Russian cruise missile during her first combat launch.
Nataliia Hrabarchuk, who was a nursery school teacher before the war, destroyed the Kh-101 long-range missile on Sunday morning during Russia’s latest large-scale attack, the Ukrainian air force said.
Footage showed her dropping to her knees in delight after firing from an Igla Manpads, a man-portable air defence system launched from a soldier’s shoulder. The sound of a loud explosion can be heard in the distance.
Ms Hrabarchuk, a volunteer member of Ukraine’s air defence command, said: “When the enemy missile was in front of 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.”
Some 210 missiles and drones were fired at Ukraine overnight on Sunday in what Kyiv officials described as “one of the largest” attacks of the war so far.
Ukraine’s air force said it had shot down 102 missiles, including almost every type Russia has in its inventory, as well as destroying 83 drones.
The early morning strikes killed at least 10 people, including eight in the city of Sumy in north Ukraine, and caused significant damage to the country’s energy and military infrastructure.
On Sunday night a further 11 were killed, including two children, after a Russian missile hit an apartment building in Sumy.
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