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Ukraine has awarded a pensioner with a coveted medal after the State Border Service claimed he helped shoot down a £74 million Russian jet with his antique rifle. Watch below:
Valeriy Fedorovych, 72, was handed an award for 'Assistance in Guarding the State Border' after reportedly leaving his home to shoot at the jet with Ukrainian troops.
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Back in March, Fedorovych had noticed the enemy Su-34 jet in the sky, before taking hold of his rifle and, while running, deciding to take a shot at the aircraft.
“We banged at the aircraft when it was doing a go-around,” Fedorovych recalled.
“The border guards, the guys from the Territorial Defence, and I, we all were shooting. How many times did I shoot? How can I remember? We banged once, then again, then we saw smoke coming out of it. But I will never tell you that it was just me who downed it.”
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As shown in the clip above, you can actually see the exact moment when the Russian plane had been hit.
The fighter’s cockpit door was said to have fell near Fedorovych’s home and is now in his garage.
“I don’t need this door,” he says.
“Probably, this Russian junk should be given over to a museum. The guys said that they would possibly put it up to an auction and send the money to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”
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As the war continues, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow will press on with its military action in Ukraine until it reaches its goals.
“It wasn’t us who started the military action, we are trying to put an end to it,” he said.
“All our action has been aimed at helping people living in the Donbas, it’s our duty and we will fulfil it until the end.
“Russia has resisted the economic, financial and technological aggression of the West.
“I’m sure that we haven’t lost anything and we won’t lose anything.
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“The most important gain is the strengthening of our sovereignty, it’s an inevitable result of what’s going one.
“There has been a certain polarisation in the world and inside the country, but I view it as a positive thing.
“Everything unnecessary, harmful, everything that has prevented us from going forward will be rejected and we will gain development tempo because development can only be based on sovereignty.”
Anish Vij