Summary Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet crashes, pilot dies in combat mission. Crash not due to enemy fire, cause unclear, rumors persist. Ukraine facing shortage of qualified F-16 pilots, impact significant.
US officials have apparently confirmed a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet has crashed in Ukraine as it participated in countering a massive Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine . The Ukrainian General Staff claimed the same F-16 shot down three Russian cruise missiles and a drone during the engagement. The pilot, called Oleskii Mes "Moonfish," is confirmed to have died in the incident.
First Ukranian F-16 loss weeks after arriving in country While the Ukrainian F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed during a combat mission, it does not appear to have been due to enemy fire. Instead, The Wall Street Journal reported that " initial reports indicate the jet wasn't shot down by enemy fire " and that the crash was " likely a result of pilot error ." The WSJ cited an unnamed US official as its source for that particular information.
According to CNN , the Ukrainians deny it was due to pilot error. The details of the incident remain unclear. Rumors circulated online that Russia shot it down or that it was shot down by friendly fire - however, at this point there is just more not known than is known.
The Ukrainian Air Force has confirmed the loss of the jet and the pilot, Oleksiy Mes, and that he perished on Monday on a post on social media. It stated, " Oleksii Mes’, a pilot of the Ukraini.