Elderly Ukrainian Couple Angrily Confront Armed Russian Soldiers
An elderly Ukrainian couple confronted Russian troops who appear to have broken into their property.
CCTV footage of the encounter was shared on social media by the US Embassy in Kyiv on Friday (12 March).
The embassy praised the couple for their bravery.
They wrote: "Today we salute this elderly couple, who stood up to three Russian soldiers. #UkrainianHeroes."
As shown in the clip, three armed soldiers approach the front of the property, where they break through the gated area and force themselves in.
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Gun shots and loud voices are heard, as well as a dog barking in the background.
After the video cuts to another angle, inside the property, a man in a blue jumper and a woman in a pink hat and blue coat begin shouting at the troops.
The man starts to approach the soldiers by waving his fist at them as they point their weapons back at him.
One of the soldiers decides to shoot his gun into the sky as the argument heats up.
Incredibly, despite the addition of a fourth soldier, the troops seem to give up and opt to leave the property, believed to be located in Mykolayiv Oblast, about 80 miles east of Odessa in southern Ukraine.
Recent reports are suggesting that upcoming Arctic winds coupled with extremely cold temperatures could stop Russian military advances in their tracks, experts suggest.
Over the next few days, freezing-cold air is set to combine with easterly winds across Russia and Ukraine, forcing temperatures to drop as low as -10C around Kyiv and the northern city of Kharkiv.
Taking wind chill into account, forecasters believe it may feel as cold as -20C, meaning troops will be forced to sit in ‘40-ton iron freezers’ or abandon their tanks altogether.
A Ukrainian military source told The Times: “It will affect those in the long-staying convoys; it means that Russian troops staying alongside the roads will be suffering.”
Similarly, Major Kevin Price, who served in the British Army for 20 years, explained: “Minus 20C will degrade the Russian force, there is no question. It will improve cross-country mobility because there will be less mud but the Russians are not ready for Arctic conditions.”
Brigadier Ben Barry, senior fellow for land warfare at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, noted that bad weather would also affect Ukrainians.
He said: “It will slow things down, but it will slow things down for both sides. The proportion of troops that start suffering cold injuries like frostbite will go up.”
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information.
Anish Vij