<div class="cs-entry__header cs-entry__header-simple cs-video-wrap"> <div class="cs-entry__header-inner"> <div class="cs-entry__header-info"> <h1 class="cs-entry__title"><span>Ukrainian F-16 pilot killed in combat, Russian missile suspected</span></h1> <div class="cs-entry__subtitle"> A 26-year-old Ukrainian pilot died when his F-16 fighter jet was hit by a Russian missile during a combat mission, BBC reports. </div> <div class="cs-entry__post-meta"><div class="cs-meta-author"><a class="cs-meta-author-inner url fn n" href="https://euromaidanpress.com/author/mariatril/" title="View all posts by Maria Tril"><span class="cs-photo"></span><span class="cs-by">by</span><span class="cs-author">Maria Tril</span></a></div><div class="cs-meta-date">12/04/2025</div><div class="cs-meta-reading-time"><span class="cs-meta-icon"><i class="cs-icon cs-icon-clock"></i></span>3 minute read</div></div> </div> <figure class="cs-entry__post-media post-media"> <img width="100%" height="auto" src="https://euromaidanpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/aa7473d-ivanov-f16-ps_690x387.avif" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="ivanov" style="max-width: 100%" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://euromaidanpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/aa7473d-ivanov-f16-ps_690x387.avif 690w, https://euromaidanpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/aa7473d-ivanov-f16-ps_690x387-300x168.avif 300w, https://euromaidanpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/aa7473d-ivanov-f16-ps_690x387-380x213.avif 380w" sizes="(max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px"> </figure> <figcaption class="cs-entry__caption-text wp-caption-text"> Pilot Pavlo Ivanov. Credit: Command of the Air Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces </figcaption> </div> </div> <a href="https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/04/12/ukrainian-f-16-pilot-killed-in-combat-russian-missile-suspected/">Ukrainian F-16 pilot killed in combat, Russian missile suspected</a> <div class="cs-entry__wrap"> <div class="cs-entry__container"> <div class="cs-entry__content-wrap"> <div class="entry-content"> <p class="whitespace-pre-wrap break-words">Ukrainian authorities have confirmed the death of 26-year-old Captain Pavlo Ivanov, who was piloting an F-16 fighter jet when it was shot down during a combat mission on 12 April.</p>
<p>President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine to the fallen F-16 pilot Pavlo Ivanov.</p>
<p class="whitespace-pre-wrap break-words">According to BBC sources, Ivanov’s aircraft was likely hit by a Russian missile.</p>
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<p class="whitespace-pre-wrap break-words"><em>“Russians fired three missiles at the plane. It was either a guided anti-aircraft missile from an S-400 ground complex or an air-to-air R-37 missile,”</em> a government source <a href="https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/cly189xz210o" target="_blank">told</a> the BBC.</p>
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<p class="whitespace-pre-wrap break-words">The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ivanov died “in battle, defending his native land from Russioan occupying forces.” The Air Force said that “F-16 pilots perform combat missions in incredibly difficult conditions almost daily.”</p><div class="code-block code-block-17">
  
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<p class="whitespace-pre-wrap break-words"><em>“I was so proud that we managed to pull you from combat missions and send you for retraining on the F-16. One of the first Ukrainian F-16 pilots – a combat assault pilot who completed 130 combat sorties before retraining,”</em> Rostislav Lazarenko, deputy commander of the 299th Tactical Aviation Brigade, shared memories of Ivanov on social media.</p>
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<p class="whitespace-pre-wrap break-words">He added that Ivanov never refused combat assignments.<em> “You never refused combat missions, and I don’t even know if it was such strong trust in me as a commander, or if it was deep faith in yourself – because you were truly a strong pilot,”</em> Lazarenko added.</p>
<p class="whitespace-pre-wrap break-words">This marks the second confirmed loss of an F-16 pilot and aircraft since Ukraine received the fighters in July 2024. The first incident occurred on 26 August when experienced pilot Oleksii Mes was shot down while intercepting Russian cruise missiles over western Ukraine.</p>
<p class="whitespace-pre-wrap break-words">Ukrainian authorities have established an interagency commission to investigate the circumstances of Ivanov’s death. Officials have ruled out “friendly fire,” saying that Ukrainian air defense systems could not have been operating in the area where Ivanov was performing his mission.</p>
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A 26-year-old Ukrainian pilot died when his F-16 fighter jet was hit by a Russian missile during a combat mission, BBC reports.{ai:summary}<p>Ukrainian F-16 pilot Captain Pavlo Ivanov, 26, was killed in combat after his aircraft was reportedly struck by a Russian missile during a mission. President Zelenskyy has posthumously awarded him the title of Hero of Ukraine.</p><p>This incident marks the second confirmed loss of an F-16 pilot since Ukraine received the jets in July 2024. An investigation is underway, ruling out friendly fire as a cause of the crash. #military</p>