Ukrainian soldier armed with rocket launcher taunts invading Russians: 'Die f**king animals'
Ukrainian soldiers were seen taunting Russian troops with rocket launchers as skirmishes intensified near Kyiv.
Video footage showing Ukrainian forces fighting Russians in Ivankiv near the capital made the rounds on Saturday, February 26. The clip emerged amid a wave of attacks on airfields and fuel facilities across the country that marked a new phase of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion. Kremlin has reportedly sent a delegation to Belarus for diplomatic talks with Ukraine. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested other locations to meet because Belarus served as a staging ground for the invasion.
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In the aforementioned clip, a Ukrainian soldier was heard yelling, "Die f**king animals" and vowed to never "speak in Russian" once the war was over Walking behind another soldier who was carrying a rocket launcher, the soldier said, "Be prepared, f***. That's it, it's coming. Russian f******. Die f***, f**king animals, die! For every tear, every tear, f***. You f**king animals! I promise that after this f**king war, I will shut up and I won't speak in Russian anymore. F**king animals!"
The soldier continued his rant while filming what appeared to be fighting in the distance. A fire raged on with dark plumes of smoke billowing into the sky. The dramatic footage also captured loud explosions and gunfire and showed armored vehicles stationed on the road. Speaking to Sky News, a military expert said that the vehicles seen in the clip were Ukrainian and that the soldier was carrying an NLAW anti-tank rocket launcher.
NLAW seen during a firefight. Insane video filmed reportedly on the outskirts of Ivankov. pic.twitter.com/a0mtrFPzhT
— C O U P S U R E (@COUPSURE) February 26, 2022
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian city southwest of Kyiv was rocked by two massive explosions shortly after midnight local time on Sunday. It was later reported that an oil depot had been blown up in the southern city of Vasylkiv, according to local newspaper The Kyiv Independent. The blasts filled the skies of Kyiv with a pulsing orange glow in the early hours of Sunday. The toll or casualties are yet unknown at the time of publication.
Speaking to the Independent, Vasylkiv Mayor Natalia Balasynovych said that her city and its airfield sustained heavy shelling from ballistic missiles. "The enemy wants to destroy everything around, but he will not succeed. Hold on!" she said as Russian troops tried to seize control of the key strategic staging post on their way to Kyiv. The blasts took place near the Ukrainian capital's secondary airport Boryspil International around 15 minutes apart and set off car alarms miles away. Ukraine's military has asked citizens to remove the names of streets, cities, and villages from road posts and signs in a bid to "confuse and disorient the enemy."
WATCH: "Pulsing glow" visible near Kyiv after large explosion; it's unclear what's on fire pic.twitter.com/GsBVOkuRMX
— BNO News (@BNONews) February 26, 2022
It is estimated that nearly 200 Ukrainian civilians and military personnel have been killed in the attacks so far. On the other hand, Ukraine has claimed to have killed 3,500 Russian troops, including hundreds believed to have lost their lives when two transport jets were shot down on Friday night, February 25.