According to reports, a Ukrainian soldier known as the “Zaporizhzhia Avenger” used a mobile anti-air weapon to down six Russian jets.
According to military leaders, the National Guard man, 19, downed a Su-25 bomber on Sunday in the Zaporizhzhia area.
Using the name of a Russian anti-air rocket launcher, a press release said that a member of the National Guard “is protecting the Ukrainian skies in the Zaporizhzhya direction and ruthlessly beats the enemy in the air with his faithful “girlfriend” PZRK Igla.”
Commanders stated that in addition to shooting down the six jets, the “Avenger” also destroyed a Russian cruise missile.
According to local media, “Avenger” started his murderous rampage in May when he shot down three Su-25 planes in one month.
As a result, he received the Hero of Ukraine designation, the greatest honour the president can confer.
Only 650 persons have received the prize since it was established in 1998.
The soldier at the time vowed to “kill [Russian jets] for as long as necessary – till our victory.”
It is far from the only story of bravery to come from the Ukrainian battlefields.
A pilot known as the “Ghost of Kyiv” was credited with downing 10 Russian jets in three days back in February while defending the city.
Within 30 hours of the invasion, the double-ace is said to have flown a MiG-29 Fulcrum and downed two Su-35s, two Su-25s, a Su-27, and an iG-29.
Before the air force acknowledged the “ghost” didn’t actually exist, rumours about him continued for months, and the Security Service of Ukraine even gave them some credence.
The force said on its Facebook page that “The Ghost of Kiev is a superhero-legend, whose persona was invented by Ukrainians.”
The pilot would have been the first ace of the twenty-first century if he had ever been.
Other heroic acts that have achieved almost mythic status include the Ukrainian marine who detonated himself while demolishing a bridge close to Kherson to fend off the Russians.
To prevent the Russians from deploying tanks across the Henichesky Bridge in the vicinity of Crimea, Vitaliy Volodymyrovych Skakun was entrusted with booby-trapping it.
He was successful in attaching explosives to the building, but he was unable to leave the detonation zone before Russian tanks arrived.
Skakun stated in his final communication to his allies that he would blow up the bridge nevertheless, killing him but disabling the tanks.
And on Snake Island, a group of Ukrainian defence forces made history by instructing a Russian cruiser to “go f*** yourself” as it approached.
It was first believed that the second strike had killed all 18 soldiers on the island, but it was later discovered that they had been captured.
Roman Hrybov, who was heard saying the now-famous statement, was exchanged for other prisoners and sent back to Ukraine. He also received a medal for valour.
The Moskva, the ship seen in the video giving the command, has now sunk, and the island has returned to Ukrainian sovereignty.