A Ukrainian F-16
aircraft experienced an in-flight emergency during a combat sortie and the
pilot successfully ejected, Ukraine’s Air Force said on July 29.
The service said on Telegram that the pilot was evacuated and taken to a hospital for medical evaluation, while experts are working at the crash site.
Officials said contact with the F-16 was lost while the pilot was intercepting Russian aerial targets over the battlefield. Preliminary information indicates an in-flight emergency forced the pilot to eject.
Specialists and law enforcement are at the crash site. No casualties or damage have been reported. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
On July 21, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of
Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, told senators that a Ukrainian F-16 had for the first
time shot down a Russian fighter in air-to-air combat.