On Sunday, the Ukrainian military reported that one of its F-16 fighter jets crashed, killing the pilot, following a massive overnight aerial assault by Russia involving hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles. The deceased airman was identified by the Ukrainian air force as 1st Class Lt. Col. Maksym Ustymenko. He is the third F-16 pilot Ukraine has lost since receiving the jets last summer, and his plane marks the fourth F-16 lost by the country.
According to the air force, Ustymenko made every effort to direct the aircraft away from a populated area but was unable to eject. His death is a significant setback for Ukraine, as only a limited number of their elite pilots have undergone the extensive, months-long training required to fly these advanced F-16 fighter jets.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised Ustymenko and the air force for their “heroic protection” of the nation’s skies, noting that Ustymenko had destroyed seven targets before his death. Zelenskyy also stated that Russia launched 477 drones and 60 missiles towards six different locations overnight into Sunday, an assault that CNN tallied as one of Russia’s largest aerial attacks in terms of weapons deployed.
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