Ukrainian F-16 Crashes During Russian Airstrike Defense, Pilot Killed
A Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet crashed while intercepting a large-scale Russian air assault, killing the pilot, the Ukrainian Air Force confirmed.
"We have suffered another painful loss. An F-16 was downed last night during efforts to repel a massive enemy attack. Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustymenko, born in 1993, was killed in action," Ukraine's Air Force Command announced Friday.
Officials said Ustymenko successfully used all available weapons aboard the F-16 and managed to shoot down seven targets. "While attempting to engage an eighth, the jet sustained damage and began losing altitude. The pilot did everything possible to steer the aircraft away from residential areas but did not have time to eject," the statement said.
The military has not disclosed the cause of the damage or the crash location. Russia’s Defense Ministry has not commented.
This marks the fourth Ukrainian F-16 lost in combat since the jets were first deployed in August 2024. The first crash occurred less than a month after the fighters arrived in Ukraine, and the second was shot down by a Russian missile on April 12, both resulting in pilot fatalities. A third aircraft went down on May 16 due to what Ukrainian officials described as "an unusual situation" during another Russian strike. That pilot ejected and survived.
“It's important to understand that aircraft losses are expected in high-intensity warfare. Even the F-16 isn’t invincible. What matters is that Ukraine continues to grow stronger,” said Air Force spokesperson Colonel Yuriy Ihnat earlier this month.
Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and Belgium have pledged to deliver a total of 85 F-16s to Ukraine. The exact number of jets already transferred remains unclear, as does how many remain combat-ready. Last month, the Dutch government announced it had sent the final batch of 24 jets it had promised to Kyiv.
In early May, the U.S. confirmed it had supplied Ukraine with several decommissioned F-16 airframes to be used for spare parts. These jets were stripped of key components such as engines and radar systems and cannot be restored to flight.
(According to Reuters, AFP)
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