A Ukrainian woman was filmed as she bravely confronted a soldier in the hours after Russia launched their invasion.
Watch the footage below:
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In the 20-second clip, which has been viewed more than 3.7 million times on Twitter, the unidentified woman demands to know why the soldier is on Ukrainian land and warned he and his comrades will die if they continue.
While standing just a few feet away from the gun-wielding soldier, the woman shouts: “What the f*ck are you doing in our land?”
The soldier responds that they have “exercises” there, the woman asks “so what the f*ck are you doing here?”
When the soldier tries to shut down their exchange by declaring that their conversation “will lead to nothing” and asks her to move on, the woman doubles down on her warning.
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She replies: “You’re occupants, you’re fascists. What the f*ck are you doing on our land with all these guns?”
With a reference to Ukraine’s national flower, she warns: “Take these seeds and put them in your pockets, so at least sunflowers will grow when you all lie down here.”
The soldier urges the woman “not to escalate the situation” but she responds with another reference to the sunflower seeds.
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“What situation? Guys, guys, put the sunflower seeds in your pockets please.
“You will lie down here with the seeds. You came to my land. Do you understand? You are occupiers, you are enemies. From this moment you are cursed’, and when she’s told again not to escalate the situation, she says: "How can it be further escalated? You f***ing came here uninvited? Pieces of sh*t."
The footage was filmed in the Henychesk, Kherson region, according to the Twitter account @Ukraine_World.
Russian president Vladimir Putin began an invasion of Ukraine on Thursday in a televised address.
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Air and missile strikes in the north, east and south of the country soon followed, with cities and military bases being the focus of the attacks.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said 137 Ukrainian citizens - both soldiers and civilians - died on the first day of the invasion.
The site of the former nuclear power plant Chernobyl was occupied by Russian forces.
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Attacks from Russia are moving closer to Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv and on Friday morning an explosion in the city’s sky was reported.
The UN says 100,000 Ukrainians have escaped so far by abandoning their homes and seeking refuge in neighbouring countries including Romania, Moldova, Poland and Hungary.
Prime minister Boris Johnson tweeted on Thursday: “President Putin has chosen a path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack on Ukraine.”
In a televised address to the nation, Johnson said: “We have Ukrainian friends in this country; neighbours, co-workers. Ukraine is a country that for decades has enjoyed freedom and democracy and the right to choose its own destiny.
"We and the world cannot allow that freedom just to be snubbed out. We cannot."
Topics: News
Gregory Robinson