Ukrainian General Staff confirms loss of F-16 fighter jet and pilot

Source: Ukraine’s General Staff

The Ukrainian military  confirmed on Thursday the loss of an F-16 fighter jet and the tragic death of its pilot on August 26.

According to the statement, the F-16 fighter jets of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were deployed alongside air defense units to counter a missile strike from Russian forces targeting Ukraine. The F-16 aircraft demonstrated high effectiveness in the air battle, successfully shooting down four enemy cruise missiles.

However, contact was lost with one of the aircraft as it approached a new target. It was later confirmed that the plane had crashed, resulting in the pilot’s death.

The admission came hours after tributes start to pour in for Ukrainian ace Oleksyi Mes who had reportedly been among the first Ukrainian F-16 pilots.

Ukraine’s defense ministry  has set up a special commission to investigate the cause of the crash. The commission is currently operating in the area where the aircraft went down.