A tragic incident occurred on Monday when a US-built F-16 fighter jet crashed, resulting in the death of a top Ukrainian pilot, Oleksiy Mes, also known as “Moonfish.” The cause of the crash remains unclear, with reports conflicting on whether it was due to Russian fire. The exact reason for the incident will be investigated. The crash is a significant loss for Ukraine, as Mes was one of the few pilots trained to operate F-16 jets.
Several videos of the crash have surfaced online, but their authenticity has not been confirmed. The Ukrainian Air Force has yet to comment on the incident. This crash follows the long-awaited arrival of F-16 fighter jets in Ukraine, which came nearly 2.5 years into the Russian military aggression against the Eastern European country.
On the same day as the crash, Russia conducted a “massive” missile and drone attack on Ukraine, as reported by Ukraine’s Air Force commander. Russian forces continued their assault the following day. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that F-16 jets were used to repel the previous day’s attack and reported that they performed well. Earlier this month, Zelensky announced that Ukraine had begun using F-16s for operations within the country.