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Ukrainian woman 'takes out Russian spy drone with can of tomatoes'

Ukrainian woman 'takes out Russian spy drone with can of tomatoes'
Drone shots show smouldering buildings northwest of Kyiv following Russian strikes
Radio Free Europe

Ukrainians have shown an incredible resilience response since Putin launched a full-scale attack on their country two weeks ago.

From citizens protesting against Russian forces to people spreading awareness through TikTok by lifting the lid off a 'typical day in a bomb shelter' – and now, taking down drones by catapulting household items at them.

Over the weekend, Liubov Tsybulska, an advisor to the Ukrainian government, shared how a woman in Kyiv took down a Russian drone with a jar of cucumbers from her balcony.

But she was soon corrected: It was tomatoes. Pickled tomatoes, to be exact.

Liubov managed to track down the woman through the power of social media. Elena, who lives in Dniprovskyi, works in a local shop in a district of Kyiv.

She explained that she was having a smoke break on her balcony in the early hours of the morning when an object started floating in the distance. At first, she thought it could have been a bird until she heard a faint buzzing sound.

The mum-of-two grabbed the first thing in her kitchen and launched it at the device.

"I was afraid," she told Liubov. "I thought it may start firing at me. But what a pity for those tomatoes… they were my favourite!"

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Elena wasn't quite finished. She and her husband watched the drone crash to the ground before trampling on the remains and hiding the parts in different bins. "I do not understand electronics. But later that day, suspicious young men showed up at the entrance of our building," she explained. "I asked them loudly what did they want and they fled away quickly. Maybe they were looters looking for apartments without occupants."

Elena added: "I’m not going anywhere from Kyiv. I decided so instantly. This is my home, my land. I will stand, gnaw, fight, and fight some more. I’ll do all that is necessary."

Not all heroes wear capes.

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