Ukraine F-16 crashes, pilot killed

Photo: REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/File photo.

On Thursday, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces posted on Facebook that the F-16 crashed and the pilot was killed while approaching a Russian target.

The ministry also said F-16s had “demonstrated outstanding performance” and shot down four Russian cruise missiles. Ukraine said Russia launched more than 200 missiles and drones on Monday against Ukrainian energy targets.

"Communication with one aircraft was interrupted while it was approaching the next target. It was later reported that the aircraft crashed and the pilot was killed," the statement on Facebook read.

A US official said Monday's plane crash was not caused by Russian fire, and that the cause could include pilot error or a technical problem and is still under investigation.

The Ukrainian government has not provided much information about the size of its new fleet, but the loss is significant. The Times of London, citing a source, said Ukraine had six F-16s.

The challenges

On August 4, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Ukraine does not have enough trained pilots to use the F-16 and also does not have enough aircraft for the squadron to operate optimally.

On Facebook, the Western Command of the Ukrainian Air Force said that pilot Oleksiy Mes was killed during a combat mission on Monday.

"Oleksiy protected the people of Ukraine from Russian missiles. Unfortunately, he paid with his life."

Mes took on the call sign Moonfish and in 2023, CNN reported that he was training for missions using F-16 aircraft.

The appearance of these aircraft is an important milestone for Ukraine in the special military operation that Russia has been conducting since February 2022.

Many military analysts say that the small number of F-16s that Ukraine currently has is not enough to turn the tide of the conflict in this country.

Kyiv has repeatedly urged its allies to provide modern fighter jets since the war began to bolster its air force fleet of Soviet-era warplanes.

Before Kyiv received the F-16s this year, Russia had more time to strengthen its defenses and Ukraine was left fighting with an air force that was outnumbered and outgunned by the Russian military.

Nguyen Quang Minh (According to Reuters)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/ukraine-roi-mot-f-16-phi-cong-thiet-mang-204240830082618751.htm