Ukrainian F-16 crashes, top pilot killed
- US media quoted sources saying that a Ukrainian pilot appeared to have died after the F-16 fighter jet he was piloting crashed.
- A top Ukrainian pilot is believed to have died after his F-16 fighter jet crashed on August 26, CNN reported, citing a source in the Ukrainian defense forces.
- According to sources, Ukraine does not believe that the plane crashed due to pilot error.
US media quoted sources saying that a Ukrainian pilot appeared to have died after the F-16 fighter jet he was piloting crashed.
F-16 fighter (Photo: Defence News).
A top Ukrainian pilot is believed to have died after his F-16 fighter jet crashed on August 26, CNN reported, citing a source in the Ukrainian defense forces.
According to sources, Ukraine does not believe that the plane crashed due to pilot error.
The source said pilot Oleksiy Mes, known as “Moonfish”, appeared to have died in the crash while “repelling the largest ever air attack” by Russia on Ukraine, adding that the pilot was buried on August 29.
The cause of the plane crash is under investigation and foreign experts will participate in the process.
Ukraine has not commented officially on the information. If true, it would be a major blow for Ukraine. The first F-16s were only delivered to the country from the West last month, and Moonfish is one of the few pilots trained to fly them.