First shot, and right on target

A Ukrainian defender managed to shoot down a Russian cruise missile using a man-portable air defense system.

This occurred on April 15 during a massive airstrike in the Mykolaiv region, according to the Southern Air Command.

For the Ukrainian soldier named Maksym, this was the first Russian aerial target he had shot down.

Previously, in civilian life, he worked as a long-haul truck driver, and Maksym joined the army in 2024.

He has now been carrying out combat missions as part of a mobile air defense fire group for a month.

“I’m very happy that I succeeded. After the combat mission, I let my emotions show a little,” the soldier said.

According to him, the unit is operating at the limits of its capabilities to destroy aerial targets as effectively as possible.

It was also previously reported that a Ukrainian drone operator, realizing he was outmatched, grabbed a hand-held grenade launcher and destroyed a Russian tank at close range.