Ukrainian pilot killed in action while flying F-16 fighter jet

Ukrainian pilot, Captain Pavel Ivanov, died while performing a combat mission on an F-16 fighter jet, reported the Ukrainian Air Force. The pilot was 26 years old.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces stated that Ivanov was killed in action on April 12, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media.

"All circumstances of the tragedy are being determined by an interagency commission, which has already started its work," the Air Force added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed condolences to the family of the fallen pilot. "Military reports on this combat situation were necessary. We are clarifying all the circumstances," Zelensky said.

Ukrainian authorities did not specify whether the F-16 fighter jet piloted by Ivanov was lost.

The F-16 is an American multi-role light fighter jet of the fourth generation. Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway have pledged to deliver 79 of these aircraft to Ukraine. The first batch arrived in July 2024. According to Forbes, Ukraine has received approximately 18 F-16s to date. According to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, the fighter jets were planned to be stationed "40 km or more" away from the front line to prevent them from being shot down by Russian forces. President Zelenskyy stated that in order to effectively counter air threats, the Ukrainian Armed Forces would need 120–130 aircraft.

On August 26, 2024, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost their first F-16. The Wall Street Journal, citing a source, suggested that the crash was likely caused by an error by the deceased pilot, Oleksii Mes, with the call sign Moonfish. Member of Parliament Mariyana Bezugla claimed that the F-16 may have been mistakenly hit by friendly fire from a Patriot missile system "due to a lack of coordination between units." The Pentagon did not confirm this information. Later, both American and Ukrainian investigators expressed doubts about the Patriot strike theory in a conversation with the NYT. After the incident, Zelenskyy dismissed the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk.