Farmer from Kherson region shoots down Russian drones with a hunting rifle
15 July 15:51
Oleksandr Gordienko, a farmer with 30 years of experience, has been shooting down Russian drones in the fields of the de-occupied Kherson region for months using a ten-shot Turkish rifle and an electronic warfare device. This was reported by the local newspaper МОСТ, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
“The Russians already know me – my headlights are on all the time, I drive around the field like this,”
– says Gordienko, standing in the middle of the steppe, listening to the constant beeping of a frequency analyzer that signals the approach of enemy drones.
The farmer explains that at first he tried to shoot down Russian drones with a double-barreled rifle, but it proved ineffective. So he purchased a ten-shot rifle, obtained permits for it, and began “hunting” for drones.
“From a kilometer away, you can barely hear it rattle. And on fiber optics, it rattles like a checkerboard. What am I doing at this time? That’s what I’m doing – a ten-shot! With a two-shot, you can miss. The first round doesn’t work – you need the fourth, or even the sixth… With a ten-shot, you can knock it down,” he smiles,
– he smiles.
Before the war, Hordiienko used to hunt, but his guns were confiscated by the Russian military at the beginning of the occupation. Now he has picked up the weapon again, but the prey has changed – instead of game, he is shooting at enemy drones.
“I thought I would never take up arms again. But the Russians made me do it,”
– says the farmer.
At his base, he demonstrates a downed Russian reconnaissance drone that he managed to shoot down almost intact.
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Mine clearance
Oleksandr demined his farm on his own, removing about 5,000 anti-tank mines.
“The state was not involved – we did everything on our own. The mines were removed by KAMAZ trucks – 500 pieces in one truck.”
– the farmer recounts the events in a casual manner.
Help is needed
Due to the difficult security situation and unfavorable weather conditions, this year’s winter crops suffered greatly. March was abnormally hot, and frosts hit in April, causing the winter wheat to fail. What did not grow is being mowed for hay for sheep evacuated from Beryslav.
According to rough estimates by the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council, more than 55,000 hectares of farmland have been destroyed, with a monetary value of more than UAH 1 billion. The biggest culprit was the drought, but crops were also damaged by shelling and drone strikes.
Gordienko appeals to the state to support farmers:
“We are asking for help from the state – at least a little bit. We want a dialog – if you don’t need us, farmers, just say so. This year we have nothing to pay our shareholders with and nothing to pay taxes with.”
The area of land with lost crops in the right-bank Kherson region may increase to 80,000 hectares due to the ongoing drought, which creates additional challenges for local farmers who continue to work under the constant threat of Russian drones.
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