Ukraine has announced that one of a handful of F-16 fighter jets given by its Western allies to fight Russia’s invasion crashed while repelling a major Russian aerial attack.
The pilot was killed in the incident after Russia launched more than 200 missiles and drones in one of its most intense bombardments of the war.
It is the first confirmed destruction of an F-16 in Ukraine, and it occurred just weeks after Kyiv began receiving the aircraft.
At least six aircraft are believed to have been delivered.
“F-16 fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were used to repel a missile attack on the territory of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, along with units of anti-aircraft missile troops,” the Ukrainian army said.
It added that communication with the F-16 was lost as the planes approached their next target.
“As it turned out later, the aircraft crashed, killing the pilot,” the military said on Thursday.
“On 26 August, while repelling a Russian massive combined missile and air strike, Oleksiy destroyed three cruise missiles and one attack drone,” Ukraine’s Western air command unit said.
“Oleksiy saved Ukrainians from deadly Russian missiles. Unfortunately, at the cost of his own life,” it added.
