F-16 Fighter Jet Crashed: A top Ukrainian pilot was killed when a US-made F-16 fighter jet crashed on Monday (August 26) after arriving in the country just weeks after a long wait, a Ukrainian military source told CNN.
The Ukrainian Defence Forces believe the incident was not due to pilot error, the source said. Pilot Oleksiy Mes, also known as “Moonfish”, died in the crash “while thwarting Russia’s biggest air strike to date” against Ukraine, he said, adding that the pilot was buried on Thursday. The crash is being investigated and international experts will be called in to take part in the probe.
Moonfish was given special training for F-16 fighter jet
The pilot’s death is a major setback for Ukraine. The first F-16 jets arrived in the country only earlier this month, and Moonfish was one of the few pilots trained to fly them. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that the Ukrainian air force used F-16s to destroy Russian-launched missiles and drones on Monday, the first time a Ukrainian official has confirmed that the jets were being used in combat.
Ukraine received F-16 after difficulties
Kiev had to wait a long time to receive F-16 aircraft. Volozhimir Zelensky had been demanding fighter jets from his Western allies since the beginning of Russia’s invasion. As with other equipment, Western countries were hesitant to agree to deliver the F-16s. The Netherlands and Denmark promised to deliver them in the early summer of 2023.