Ukrainian F-16 lost in combat mission, pilot survives
A Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet crashed during a combat mission at approximately 3:30 a.m. EET on May 16, the Air Force reported on Telegram.
Communication with the aircraft was lost while it was on a mission to repel a Russian air attack.
"According to preliminary data, the pilot destroyed three air targets and was targeting a fourth with the aircraft's cannon when an emergency occurred. The pilot diverted the aircraft away from a populated area and successfully ejected," the statement said.
The pilot was swiftly located and evacuated by the search and rescue team. The Air Force assured that "the pilot is in a safe place, in good health, and his life is not in danger."
A commission has been established to further investigate the incident and determine all the circumstances surrounding it.
On April 12, Ukrainian F-16 pilot Captain Pavlo Ivanov, 26, was killed while carrying out an unspecified combat mission.
Ivanov became the second known Ukrainian pilot to die while flying an F-16.
On Aug. 26, 2024, pilot Oleksii Mes, call sign "Moonfish," was killed while repelling one of the most massive missile strikes Russia had launched against Ukraine. He was 30 years old.
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