Love, hate, spite, all are heavy emotions, but one that I’ve realized is greater than any and all of them, is patriotism. 

People say that the kind of possessiveness you feel for your family is unparalleled, and it might also be true. But when it comes to one’s home country and their motherland, then nothing - not even the slight chance of being convicted gets in the way of defending it.

Recently, a Ukrainian sailor was reportedly arrested by the police for trying to sink his Russian boss’s luxury yacht, in light of recent events and developments between the two nations. 

© istock

Ever since Russia declared an invasion into Ukraine, the world has been witnessing what can quite easily turn into a potential World War, as some concerned people are saying. 

As citizens of Ukraine unite and pick up arms to defend themselves against Russian soldiers, a Ukrainian sailor miles in Spain, felt the need to protect his country right from where he was.

And he did so by choosing to sink a 156-foot yacht that belongs to Alexander Mijeev, the CEO of Rosoboronexport, for he alleged that his boss was ‘a criminal who sells weapons that kill the Ukrainian people.’

A Ukrainian sailor in Mallorca opened the valves & "partially sank" a €7m yacht belonging to the director of Russia's arms exporter.
After he explained it was in retaliation for Russian missile strikes on Kyiv, a judge released him pending trial. https://t.co/yCYkOEY6Mw pic.twitter.com/aOgwaAxLng

Yacht ‘Lady Anastasia’ belonged to Alexander whose company exports Russian defence products like weapons, ships, tanks and fighting vehicles. 

Mr Ostapchuk, the Ukrainian sailor claimed, “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."

© Twitter

And that is what, according to him, drove him to open valves in the engine room of the yacht in an attempt to flood it and support his country in times of need. 

“I don't regret anything I've done and I would do it again," said Mr Ostapchuk.

He was not just a sailor. He was the chief engineer of the vessel and a Ukrainian National. He opened all of the sea cocks, opened that fuel valves in order to contaminate the fuel with water and flood the engines. pic.twitter.com/8FPVCmgOfc

He was subsequently arrested by Spain's Civil Guard on Saturday and appeared in court on Sunday where he admitted to not having regretted his actions. 

After the attempt to sink the $7.7 million yacht, Mr Ostapchuk is currently out on bail and plans on going to Ukraine to join the fight against Russia. 

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