The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed on Thursday that an F-16 fighter jet crashed during combat operations in Ukraine. According to a statement on Telegram, the F-16s involved in the engagement had successfully intercepted and destroyed four missiles. However, one of the aircraft lost contact while approaching its next target.
The statement confirmed that the aircraft crashed and the pilot was killed. The General Staff did not provide details on the specific date of the incident. A special commission from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry is currently investigating the crash to determine its cause.
Earlier in the day, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that pilot Oleksii Mes was killed on August 26 while defending against a Russian attack. The Air Force did not clarify whether Mes was piloting the F-16 involved in the recent crash.
In early August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the arrival of the first batch of F-16 fighter jets in Ukraine, marking a significant milestone in the country’s defense capabilities.
