Countless awe-inspiring stories of bravery and courage have come out of Ukraine in recent days. Such an act of bravery was highlighted by Liubov Tsybulska, a Ukrainian government adviser, over the weekend. Tsybulska said a woman in Kiev shot down a Russian drone by throwing a jar of cucumbers at it from her balcony. “How did they think they were occupying this country? she asked her Twitter followers.
While many were quick to dismiss the incident as fiction, a local news agency persevered and managed to track down the brave woman with a new anti-drone strategy.
Her name is Elena. She lives in Dniprovskyi, an urban district of the city of Kiev, and works in a small store in the neighborhood that sells household items such as soap and washing powder.
Elena says she was sitting on her balcony, smoking in the early hours of the morning, when she saw something floating in the distance. “Is it a slaughtered crow?” she wondered before noticing a slight buzz. Elena had never seen a drone before, but as the flying machine got closer, she realized it wasn’t a bird.
Sensing something sinister was brewing, the mother-of-two ran into the house and grabbed the first thing she saw: a large jar of tinned tomatoes. And she threw that jar at the drone with all her might.
I was scared. I thought he might start shooting at me. But what a pity for these tomatoes… they were my favorites!
The jar hit the target and the drone crashed. Elena and her husband then stomped on the wreckage, tossing the machine parts into various trash cans – fearing that Russian soldiers could find the remains.
I don’t understand electronics. But later that day, suspicious young men showed up at the entrance to our building. I asked them out loud what they wanted and they quickly ran away. Perhaps they were looters looking for empty apartments.
Elena says she doesn’t know why people thought it was a jar of cucumbers that was used to bring down the drone. All she knows is that she wants to help rebuild her country once the war is over.
I’m not going anywhere from Kyiv. I decided right away. This is my home, my land. I will stand, gnaw, fight and fight some more. I will do whatever is necessary.
Read more: Finnish volunteers deliver 140 DJI Mavic Mini drones to Ukrainian army
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