F-16 pilot Maksym Ustymenko was killed while repelling a Russian attack
On the night of June 29, while repelling a massive Russian attack, Ukraine lost an F-16 fighter jet, the pilot was killed. This was reported to by the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"This night, while repelling a massive enemy air attack, a pilot of the first class, Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustymenko, born in 1993, was killed on an F-16 aircraft," the statement reads.
The Air Force noted that the pilot used the full range of onboard weapons and shot down seven air targets. While practicing the last one, his plane was damaged and began to lose altitude.
It is known that Ustymenko did his best to take the plane away from the settlement, but did not have time to eject.
The Air Force said that the occupiers used more than 500 drones and missiles. To repel the massive attack, all available means of the Defense Forces that can work on enemy targets were used. Aviation, in particular F-16 aircraft, whose pilots destroyed dozens of "Shahed" once again worked productively .
"The work of Ukrainian fighter jets is extremely dangerous and risky, both when striking enemy ground targets and repelling air attacks. But despite everything, our pilots heroically perform combat missions, achieving maximum results," the statement reads.
- On April 12, 26-year-old Pavlo Ivanov was killed while flying an F-16 during a combat mission. He was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine posthumously.
- On the night of May 16, Ukraine lost an F-16, but the pilot was able to eject.