NEW DELHI: A US-made F-16 fighter jet given to Ukraine crashed on August 26, resulting in the death of its pilot, Oleksiy Mes, who was known by the call sign “Moonfish”, said several US media reports on Thursday.
The incident occurred during a significant Russian aerial assault on Ukraine, which involved over 200 missiles and drones targeting various civilian and energy facilities.
A CNN report citing a source in the Ukrainian Defence Forces said the pilot was killed in the crash while “repelling the biggest ever aerial attack” by Russia against Ukraine. The pilot was buried on Thursday.
The crash is being investigated and international experts will be invited to participate in the probe, the source told CNN.
The crash was reportedly not caused by enemy fire but is believed to have resulted from pilot error.
The F-16 was among the first jets delivered to Ukraine earlier in August, part of a broader initiative to bolster Ukraine’s air capabilities amid ongoing conflict with Russia.
President Volodymyr Zelensky had confirmed the use of F-16s in countering the Russian attacks, which included downing numerous missiles and drones during the assault.
On August 26, Russian drones and missiles battered Ukraine’s power grid across 15 regions, killing at least four people and damaging the Kyiv Hydropower Power Plant and an unspecified number of generation and transmission facilities.
The incident occurred during a significant Russian aerial assault on Ukraine, which involved over 200 missiles and drones targeting various civilian and energy facilities.
A CNN report citing a source in the Ukrainian Defence Forces said the pilot was killed in the crash while “repelling the biggest ever aerial attack” by Russia against Ukraine. The pilot was buried on Thursday.
The crash is being investigated and international experts will be invited to participate in the probe, the source told CNN.
The crash was reportedly not caused by enemy fire but is believed to have resulted from pilot error.
The F-16 was among the first jets delivered to Ukraine earlier in August, part of a broader initiative to bolster Ukraine’s air capabilities amid ongoing conflict with Russia.
President Volodymyr Zelensky had confirmed the use of F-16s in countering the Russian attacks, which included downing numerous missiles and drones during the assault.
On August 26, Russian drones and missiles battered Ukraine’s power grid across 15 regions, killing at least four people and damaging the Kyiv Hydropower Power Plant and an unspecified number of generation and transmission facilities.