Ukraine has lost its first F-16 just weeks after the first batch of the US-made fighter jets were delivered to the country.
The aircraft was destroyed during the massive long-range barrage in which Russia launched over 100 missiles and 100 drones at targets across the entire country, it was reported.
But anonymous US officials quoted by the Wall Street Journal said the crash was probably the result of pilot error and not enemy fire.
Lt Col Oleksiy Mes, a top pilot known by his call sign “Moonfish”, was killed in the crash, a Ukrainian military source said.
The pilot had played a prominent part in Ukraine’s lobbying of its Western allies for the jets, making the case for their delivery to politicians and the media.
Loss of jet is significant blow
The Ukrainian air force confirmed the death of the pilot in a post on the Telegram messaging app.
“He heroically fought his last battle in heaven. On August 26, Oleksiy destroyed three cruise missiles and one attack UAV while repelling a massive Russian combined air and missile attack,” the statement said.
The news that Ukraine has lost one of its prized F-16 fighter jets so soon after their introduction on the battlefield will come as a significant blow for Kyiv.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, confirmed this week that the jets had been used for the first time to intercept Russian missiles.