29 August 2024

Ukraine's Air Force announces death of pilot after WSJ reports F-16 crash

 


Breaking: One Of The First F-16 Jets Transferred To Ukraine Has Crashed -  The Aviationist
US official confirms first loss of F-16 in Ukraine — WSJ - World - TASS
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by Elsa Court andThe Kyiv Independent news deskAugust 29, 2024 5:54 PM (Updated: )3 min read
An F-16 fighter aircraft performs during the Antidotum airshow in Leszno, Poland on June 22, 2024. 
(Sergei GAPON/AFP via Getty Images)

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Editor's note: Ukraine's military confirmed later on Aug. 29 that an F-16 had crashed on Aug. 26.

Ukraine's Air Force announced on Aug. 29 that a pilot had been killed during Russia's mass attack on Aug. 26, shortly after the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that one of the recently delivered F-16 jets had been destroyed in a crash on the same day.
Ukraine received its first F-16s by the beginning of August, a year after its allies formed the fighter jet coalition at the NATO summit in Vilnius to support Kyiv with training and aircraft.
While the jet was not downed by Russian fire, it did crash during Russia's mass attack on Aug. 26, the WSJ said.
Russia launched 200 missiles and drones on Aug. 26 as part of the largest-ever aerial attack against Ukraine.  
Strikes hit several civilian, energy, and fuel facilities, including part of the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plantkilling seven people and injuring at least 47 others.
"The crash was likely a result of pilot error," the WSJ said. 
"The Ukrainian Air Force wouldn't confirm the crash or the status of the pilot."
Shortly after the WSJ report was published, the Ukrainian Air Force's Western Air Command announced that pilot Oleksii Mes had been killed on Aug. 26.

"Oleksii destroyed three cruise missiles and one attack drone while repelling a massive Russian combined air and missile attack," the Western Air Command said.
"Oleksii saved Ukrainians from deadly Russian missiles. Unfortunately, at the cost of his own life." 
  • The lieutenant colonel's funeral was held on Aug. 29.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi posthumously awarded Mes the rank of colonel, Western Air Command said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Aug. 27 that F-16 jets had been used to repel the attack on Aug. 26.
Ukraine downed 102 missiles and 99 drones of the 127 missiles and 109 drones launched by Russia during the morning attack.
Ukraine's Air Force announces death of pilot after WSJ reports F-16 crash
5:54 PM (Updated: )

Ukraine's Air Force announces death of pilot after WSJ reports F-16 crash.

Ukraine's Air Force announced on Aug. 29 that a pilot had been killed during Russia's mass attack on Aug. 26, shortly after the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that one of the recently delivered F-16 jets had been destroyed in a crash on the same day.


News feed

ThursdayAugust 29
EU to speed up arms, energy equipment deliveries to Ukraine, Kuleba says
9:31 PM

EU to speed up arms, energy equipment deliveries to Ukraine, Kuleba says.

The European Union will speed up the delivery of weapons and equipment for Ukraine's energy system, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said after an informal meeting with EU counterparts in Brussels on Aug. 29.


BREAKING: F-16 fighter jet crashes in Ukraine, military confirms
7:58 PM (Updated: )

BREAKING: F-16 fighter jet crashes in Ukraine, military confirms.

One of the F-16 fighter jets recently delivered to Ukraine crashed while repelling a Russian mass attack, Ukraine's General Staff said on Aug. 29.

Kursk incursion is Ukraine's right of self-defense, Latvian FM says
5:53 PM

Kursk incursion is Ukraine's right of self-defense, Latvian FM says.

"And Ukrainians have been very, very careful and very, very diligent in not going after civilians (in Kursk Oblast), in not doing what Russians have been doing on the Ukrainian territory. This is the normal military counteractions, so this counteroffensive, in our view, is also covered by the right of self-defense," Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze said.

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