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Woman praised after confronting group of Russian soldiers

A Ukrainian woman has been praised for her bravery after a video circulated showing her yelling at a group of Russian soldiers.

Ukrainian woman's confrontation with an invading Russian soldier

A Ukrainian woman has been heralded for her bravery after a video emerged online of her confronting a Russian soldier.

The video, believed to have been captured in Henichesk, a city along the Sea of Azov in southern Ukraine shows a woman shouting at two heavily armed Russian soldiers and demanding to know what they were doing in her country.

“What the f*** are you doing in our land?” the furious woman reportedly shouted.

Offering a translation of the video, one Twitter user said the soldier responded urging the woman not to continue to escalate the situation.

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“Take these seeds and put them in your pockets so at leats sunflowers will grow after you die,” she continued.

“From this moment you are cursed, I am telling you.”

The footage has been shared widely on social media, with many praising the woman for her bravery.

“That is one badass woman right there,” one person said.

“The bravery is amazing! Thank you! We stand with you!” another wrote.

Ukraine is rallying its forces as Russian troops continue to press closer towards the country’s capital, with calls for citizens to take up arms against the invasion.

Ukraine is now under martial law, with journalists on the ground reporting the Interior Ministry and State Border Guard Service says this means men between the ages of 18 and 60 are banned from leaving the country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordered a general military mobilisation late on Thursday night.

The declaration stated the move was necessary “in order to ensure the defence of the state, maintaining combat and mobilisation readiness of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations”.

Conscripts and reservists in all regions will be called up, with the decree set to last for 90 days.

Mr Zelenskyy ordered the General Staff to work out how many servicemen will be called up and in which order.

People stand around a damaged structure caused by a rocket in Kyiv, Ukraine. Picture: Chris McGrath/Getty Images
People stand around a damaged structure caused by a rocket in Kyiv, Ukraine. Picture: Chris McGrath/Getty Images

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a major military offensive against the Ukraine, ordering hundreds of troops across the border.

Dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries have already been reported, with explosions heard in at least five cities, including the Kharkiv and the capital Kyiv.

Russia has now captured the infamous Chernobyl power plant, giving them access to the fastest route from Russia to Kyiv.

However, Ukrainian forces are determined to fight back against the Russian troops, with President Zelenskyy urging people to fight against the invasion.

“We will give weapons to anyone who wants to defend the country. Be ready to support Ukraine in the squares of our cities,” he said in a Twitter post.

“We will lift sanctions on all citizens of Ukraine who are ready to defend our country as part of territorial defence with weapons in hands.”

Mr Zelenskyy announced martial law yesterday just before Russia began its attack.

Ukraine’s defence minster, Oleksiy Reznikov, followed up this call by urging anyone wanting to defend the Ukraine to immediately enlist in the army.

The only thing needed to sign up to the country’s defence force is a Ukrainian passport, Mr Reznikov said.

“The enemy is attacking, but our army is indestructible,” he said.

“Ukraine is moving into all-out defence mode.”

Ukrainian forces have been pushing back against Russia’s assault, claiming to have shot down four KA-52 Alligator attack helicopters during a battle for Gostomel air base.

A fifth helicopter was reportedly forced to make an emergency landing in a nearby field following heavy fire.

On Thursday, Russia sent 20 helicopters to the military base at Gostomel Airport, with shocking footage showing the aircraft hurtling through the sky ahead of the attack.

The helicopters are seen flying low and appearing to be firing flares as they moved in.

Smoke is seen rising in the background from the devastated landscape amid the bloodshed which has plunged Europe into a new crisis.

Kyiv’s presidential office said there was “fierce fighting” at the airport.

While Ukrainian forces reportedly managed to bring down some of the helicopters, the Russians managed to seize control of the area.

Ukraine has also claimed to have shot six Russian jets out of the sky over the Donbas region.

The country also revealed it killed around 50 “Russian occupiers” while taking back control of the eastern frontline town of Shchastya.

“Shchastya is under control. 50 Russian occupiers were killed. Another Russian plane was destroyed in the Kramatorsk district. This is the sixth,” Ukraine’s military said.

A member of the Georgian National Legion paramilitary volunteer unit (L) instructs a civilian on shooting techniques during a training course at a shooting range. Picture: Chris McGrath/Getty Images
A member of the Georgian National Legion paramilitary volunteer unit (L) instructs a civilian on shooting techniques during a training course at a shooting range. Picture: Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Russia rocked by protests after Ukraine invasion

Russian police have detained more than 1700 people at anti-war protests across dozens of cities as thousands took to the streets after President Vladimir Putin sent troops to invade Ukraine.

Many in Russia had been sceptical about Mr Putin’s plans to attack the pro-Western neighbour.

Moscow was asleep when the President ordered an air and ground assault on Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday.

Police officers detain a demonstrator during a protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine in central Saint Petersburg. Picture: Sergei Mikhailichenko/AFP
Police officers detain a demonstrator during a protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine in central Saint Petersburg. Picture: Sergei Mikhailichenko/AFP
Hundreds of people were detained. Picture: Sergei Mikhailichenko/AFP
Hundreds of people were detained. Picture: Sergei Mikhailichenko/AFP

As troops advanced, the Kremlin said it was certain that Russians would “support” the war and that Ukraine needed to be “liberated and cleansed of Nazis”.

But with shocking scenes of death in Ukraine, many prominent figures publicly spoke out against the war on Thursday and thousands of ordinary Russians defied draconian anti-protest legislation to take to the streets across the country.

Several thousand people gathered near Pushkin Square in central Moscow, while up to 1000 people gathered in the former imperial capital Saint Petersburg, according to AFP correspondents at the scene.

Rallies also took place in dozens of other Russian cities.

– With AFP

Originally published as Woman praised after confronting group of Russian soldiers

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/ukraine-strikes-back-against-russia-as-chaos-continues-to-unfold/news-story/9e1eb73d6e9c8b4968e0a1808a3d57df