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Published: August 30, 2024
A prominent Ukrainian pilot was killed when an American-made F-16 fighter jet crashed in the first incident of its kind, just weeks after the aircraft that Kyiv had long requested arrived.
CNN reported, citing a Ukrainian military source, that "the Ukrainian army does not believe that pilot error was the cause of the incident."
The source added that the pilot Oleksii Mais, known as "Monfish," was the one who died in the incident during "the largest attack ever" launched by Russia against Ukraine on Monday. It was clarified that the pilot was buried on Thursday.
The source pointed out that an investigation into the incident is underway, and international experts will be invited to participate.
The Ukrainian army announced on Thursday that an F-16 fighter jet had crashed, marking the first loss of an aircraft of this type since American-made fighters arrived in the country this month.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated in a press release, as reported by Reuters, that the aircraft fell and its pilot was killed while approaching a target during a Russian airstrike.
It added that the F-16 fighters "showed high efficiency" and shot down 4 Russian cruise missiles. The statement said: "We lost contact with one of the fighters as it approached the next target. As it later became clear, the aircraft crashed and the pilot was killed."
Regarding the crash, an American official at the Pentagon told Reuters that the crash "did not appear to be the result of Russian fire, and the investigation is still ongoing into possible causes, such as pilot error or mechanical failure."
CNN explained that the death of pilot "Monfish" represents "a severe blow to Ukraine," as he was one of the few pilots trained to use the fighter jets and one of the prominent faces that had been urging Western countries for months to provide Kyiv with fighters to counter Russian strikes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Tuesday that the Ukrainian Air Force used "F-16" fighter jets to destroy the Russian missiles and drones launched by Moscow on Monday, marking the first official confirmation of the use of the fighters in combat.
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