A video from over the weekend inside Ukraine shows a man kneeling in front of a Russian tank to stop it from advancing for a brief moment as Russian forces continue their quest to take over the country.
The New York Times, which verified the video, reported, “In one video from Bakhmach in northern Ukraine on Saturday, a man climbs on the front of a Russian tank, then briefly kneels in front of it when it stops, while residents shout at the soldiers.”
WATCH:
"Take some sunflower seeds and put them in your pocket. So when you die here, sunflowers will grow from that spot."
Ukrainians confront Russian troops. By @dim109 @tiefenthaler @ckoettl @brenna__smith https://t.co/8qhLpZWnyk pic.twitter.com/W89GMcgEGe
— Malachy Browne (@malachybrowne) February 26, 2022
Another video that went viral late this week showed a woman confronting a Russian soldier, berating him for invading Ukraine, and telling him to put sunflower seeds in his pockets so that when he is killed in Ukraine, flowers will grow where he ultimately dies.
“A transcript of the video, posted by Mashable editor Chris Taylor, outlines the conversation with a woman holding an umbrella engaged in a shouting match with what appears to be a Russian soldier,” Fox News reported. “The video has been viewed over 2 million times on Twitter.”
TRANSCRIPT (provided via Mashable):
WOMAN: Who are you?
SOLDIER: We have exercises here. Please go this way.
WOMAN: What kind of exercises? Are you Russian?
SOLDIER: Yes.
WOMAN: So what the f*** are you doing here?
SOLDIER: Right now, our discussion will lead to nothing.
WOMAN: You’re occupants, you’re fascists! What the f*** are you doing on our land with all these guns? Take these seeds and put them in your pockets, so at least sunflowers [Ukrainian national flower] will grow when you all lie down here.
SOLDIER: Right now, our discussion will lead nowhere. Let’s not escalate this situation. Please.
WOMAN: What situation? Guys, guys. Put the sunflower seeds in your pockets, please. You will lie down here with the seeds. You came to my land. Do you understand? You are occupiers. You are enemies.
SOLDIER: Yes.
WOMAN: And from this moment, you are cursed. I’m telling you.
SOLDIER: Now listen to me –
WOMAN: I’ve heard you.
SOLDIER: Let’s not escalate the situation. Please go this way.
WOMAN: How can it be further escalated? You f***ing came here uninvited. Pieces of s***.
WATCH:
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
Fighting has increased every day since the invasion began, and Ukraine has encouraged its citizens to fight back with small arms and Molotov cocktails. The country has promised to arm anyone who wants to take up arms to fight the Russians.
“The U.S. government is prepared to help Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky leave Kyiv to avoid being captured or killed by advancing Russian forces, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials,” The Washington Post reported. “But so far, the president has refused to go.”
A senior American intelligence official with direct knowledge of the conversation that U.S. officials had with Zelensky when he was reportedly asked to evacuate says that Zelensky responded: “The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.”
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