Former Kindergarten Teacher Downs Russian Cruise Missile
Natalia Khrabarciuk, a former kindergarten teacher turned anti-aircraft gunner, has successfully intercepted a Russian cruise missile with a Soviet-made portable anti-aircraft system. A video on Facebook depicts Natalia, now a part of a volunteer armed group, expertly using a 9K38 Igla system to neutralize a KH-101 cruise missile.
The Missile Interception
In the video, Khrabarciuk targets and fires at the missile, while the individual filming briefly tracks the missile’s path with their phone. After the camera pans back to Natalia, an explosion is heard in the distance, triggering ecstatic cheers. Natalia, equally thrilled, sits down next to the still-smoking system.
The Official Report
The Western Air Command of the Ukrainian Air Force detailed the event, “Private Natalia Grabarchuk successfully destroyed a Russian missile during the morning’s missile attack on critical infrastructure targets. Russian aggressors attacked critical infrastructure sites in the western region of Ukraine with unmanned drones during the night, followed by a massive drone attack in the morning. Among those who defended against the airborne assault was soldier Natalia Grabarchuk.”
Preparation and Training
Natalia underwent rigorous preparation prior to her successful launch, completing two training courses that lasted five months in total at a training center. She learned to handle different types of man-portable anti-aircraft missiles. Natalia explains, “When the enemy missile reached the impact zone, I put all emotions aside. I had performed hundreds of training launches before this. I just did what I had been trained to do.”
From Educator to Anti-Aircraft Gunner
Before joining the anti-aircraft missile unit of the Galichy-Volin radio-technical brigade of the Western Air Command in 2021, Natalia was an educator at the Doškíl Наnogo educational institution. The 9K38 Igla portable anti-aircraft system, which Natalia used, was produced by the Soviet Union in the early 1980s.
