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Ukrainian soldiers use Belfast-made weapon to shoot down Russian drone


A video appears to show Ukrainian fighters celebrating after shooting down a Russian drone with a high velocity missile built in east Belfast.

The footage shows a soldier firing the high velocity Starstreak missile — which can travel at speeds of up to Mach 4 — at the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine.

The downing of the drone was met with triumphant cheers from the Ukrainian troops present. Yuriy Kochevenko, the Ukrainian solider who shared the video online, thanked the UK for supplying the missile system, built by Thales at their plant in east Belfast, adding that his fellow servicemen use the “support of allies effectively”.

At one point, a soldier could be seen flashing his middle finger at the wreckage of the Russian drone as it fell from the sky.

The drone was shot down by members of the 95th Air Assault Brigade on April 9, Ukrainian armed forces chiefs said.

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