Russian Attack Destroys Ukraine's F-16, The BBC Said
According to a Ukrainian military source who spoke to the BBC, one of the F-16 fighter jets that Ukraine received from its NATO allies has been destroyed.
Oleksiy Mes, the pilot, was killed when the aircraft crashed on Monday amid a flurry of Russian missiles, according to the Ukrainian military. Since the aircraft were delivered earlier this month, it represents the first loss of their kind.
The Ukrainian military asserts that an enemy missile strike was not the direct cause of the crash.
According to reports, the pilot carried out Russia’s biggest aerial attack to date, destroying three cruise missiles and one drone.
Ukraine gets its first F-16 combat aircraft
The Ukrainian Air Force claimed on social media that “Oleksiy saved Ukrainians from deadly Russian missiles.”
“Unfortunately, at the cost of his own life.”
The type of aircraft involved was not mentioned in the statement, but a military source informed the BBC the pilot was operating an F-16.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, formally acknowledged on Tuesday that F-16s built in the United States were being used to intercept Russian missiles and drones.
He requested this week from allies that Ukraine be permitted to utilize long-range missiles to strike targets farther inside Russia.
General Onno Eichelsheim, the Dutch Chief of Defense, has stated that the Netherlands will give Ukraine 24 of the jets in addition to additional armaments.
He stated at a meeting in Washington on Wednesday that there would be no limitations on their use other than adhering to humanitarian law; this implies that Kyiv may carry out more extensive operations into Russian territory.
Since US President Joe Biden originally gave the go-ahead for willing European partners to send F-16s to Ukraine in August 2023, over 65 of the aircraft have been committed by NATO members.
The F-16s of Ukraine operate in tandem with a restricted quantity of surface-to-air missile systems, such as Patriot and Nasams, that are already in place and provided by the West.
Additionally, they aid in the defense against Russian glide bombs, which are dumb bombs akin to American JDAM munitions but equipped with pop-out wing kits and guidance modules to give precision strike stand-off capabilities.
President Zelensky, who had promised to present US President Joe Biden with a “victory plan” next month, is hurt by the aircraft’s destruction.
In addition, he disclosed that Ukraine had just completed the first successful test of a ballistic missile made in the country, though he would not elaborate.
