As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues into its third day, several images and videos about the plight of Ukrainians are going viral. A video of a woman in Ukraine is being praised for her bravery by social media users.
In a video shared online, the woman appears visibly upset, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, February 24, as military vehicles made their way across the border and airstrikes started reportedly targeting a number of cities.
Ukrainian woman confronts Russian soldiers in Henychesk, Kherson region. Asks them why they came to our land and urges to put sunflower seeds in their pockets [so that flowers would grow when they die on the Ukrainian land] pic.twitter.com/ztTx2qK7kB
— UkraineWorld (@ukraine_world) February 24, 2022
Several people have commended the woman for confronting Russian troops and demanding to know what they were doing in her country.
In the short video, the woman stood in front of the armed soldier and asked him what he was doing in his country. Seeing the woman’s anger, the Russian soldier advised her to be patient.
The woman first vented her anger on the Russian military official and then turned around and said, “You should keep the sunflower seeds in your pocket so that these seeds can grow on Ukrainian soil after your death.”
When she realised that the troops were Russians, the woman confronted them and called them “occupiers” and “fascists”. She also cursed the soldiers and asked them to put some sunflower seeds in their pockets “so at least sunflowers will grow” after they die on Ukrainian soil. Sunflowers are the national flowers of Ukraine.
The video was shared by Kiev-based independent media charity Internews Ukraine. Millions have watched it on social media ever since. One Twitter user said, ‘The days and nights ahead in Ukraine can be long and difficult. But this woman’s spirit shows that not everything is as simple as Putin thought.
The clip was shot by passer-byes in the city of Henychesk. The video has been viewed over 4.2 million times since it was first posted on 24 February. Several internet users hailed the woman’s bravery in standing her ground against the heavily-armed troops.
Many people posted appreciative messages about the woman’s bravery and said they could never be as courageous as her.
This is not the only viral video related to Ukraine doing the rounds on social media recently. A clip of a Ukrainian man tearfully saying goodbye to his daughter before he stays back to fight the invading Russian troops has also gone viral.
The situation in Ukraine continues to be grim, with several residents in the capital Kyiv taking shelter in the city’s underground metro system as the Russian attack continues. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that Moscow is ready for talks if the Ukrainian military stops fighting.
