Angry Ukrainian Exacts Revenge on Russian Boss' Superyacht, and There's a 'Rest of the Story' at Play

AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

Taras Ostapchuk is an angry man. The 55-year-old is also a brave-as-hell Ukrainian patriot who decided to exact his own kind of revenge on Vladimir Putin’s Russia for its brutal invasion of his country. To that end, he partially sunk his Russian tycoon boss’s $7.7 million luxury superyacht in Spain on Saturday.

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As reported by the Majorca Daily Bulletin, Ostapchuck, who was a sailor on the yacht, was taken into custody after he allegedly opened several valves to intentionally flood the 156-foot-long vessel, severely damaging the engine room. The luxury yacht, named Lady Anastasia, is owned by Russian tycoon Alexander Mijeev, CEO of the Russian military weapons company, Rosoboronexport.

When officers arrived to arrest Ostapchuk, as reported by The New York Post, he allegedly said: “My boss is a criminal who sells weapons that kill the Ukrainian people.” The former crew member, a mechanic on the yacht for more than ten years, told the court his boss’ company produced armaments used in the attack:

I watched the news about the war. There was a video of a helicopter attack on a building in Kyiv. The armaments used are produced by the yacht owner’s company. They were attacking innocents.

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Unrepentant, Ostapchuck told the judge he didn’t regret his actions and “would do it again.”

Ostapchuck was released from custody, and promptly left Spain — on a mission:

I’m going to fight. As soon as I reach the first Ukrainian city I will look for a military commander and ask him if they need me. I told myself:

‘Why do I need a job if I have my country. I had a good job as a head mechanic on the boat and a good salary but I am going to fight for my nation.’

I am not going to lose my country. I am not a hero, I’m a middle-aged man, but I have a lot of experience as a mechanic.

I’ve never held a weapon but if necessary I will. Why not!”

“I’ve never held a weapon but if necessary I will. Why not!”

That is an incredible statement, let alone an extraordinary profile in courage. Can you imagine, despite our often profound, ignorant, and bitter differences — hell, just with the Republican Party — an America in which ordinary citizens are left with what Mr. Ostapchuk now appears to view as his only remaining option? I cannot. Unless you’re a card-carrying “prepper,” that is — a whole different level of crazy.

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Then again, I cannot imagine decent Americans defending, rationalizing, and attacking other decent Americans for condemning Donald Trump’s CPAC declaration, “America is stupid.” But, hey — perhaps I’m not “smart enough” to understand the deep, intellectual “context” of what Donald meant.

Meanwhile, the Russia-Ukraine Crisis continues, unabated:

The American People Add Ukraine to Biden’s Growing List of Failures

Is Slovakia Next? Former Soviet Satellite to Send Fuel, Artillery Ammo to War-Torn Ukraine

Belarus Prepares To Join Russia’s Unprovoked Assault on Ukraine

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