A Ukrainian F-16 pilot died when his jet crashed while stopping a massive Russian air assault. Officials confirmed this on Sunday. The attack included hundreds of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. As the war enters its fourth year, Russia continues heavy night strikes.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy honored the fallen pilot, Maksym Ustymenko, by posthumously awarding him the country’s highest title, Hero of Ukraine. He also urged Western allies to step up support. According to him, Ukraine needs “more help to strengthen its air defences.”
Meanwhile, the attack caused destruction across the country. It damaged homes, infrastructure, and injured at least 12 people, local officials said.
Cities came under fire
In Kyiv, people rushed into metro stations for safety as sirens wailed. Gunfire and explosions followed. A similar situation unfolded in Lviv, a western city that rarely sees such attacks. The regional governor noted that the strike targeted “critical infrastructure” in Lviv, which borders Poland.
Since last year, Ukraine has lost three American-made F-16 fighter jets. Although officials have not shared how many jets remain, these aircraft play a vital role in Ukraine’s defence strategy.
According to the Air Force, Ustymenko tried to steer his damaged jet away from a populated area. Tragically, he didn’t have enough time to eject. The Air Force wrote on Telegram that “the pilot used all of his onboard weapons and shot down seven air targets,” and while hitting the last one, “his aircraft was damaged and began to lose altitude.”
F-16s not ideal against drones
Earlier this month, Ukrainian military expert Roman Svitan explained that the F-16 is not ideal for drone defence. He said the aircraft works better “against higher-speed targets,” and not the slower, swarming drones that often attack Ukrainian cities.
In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy shared that Ustymenko had flown missions since 2014, during the campaign against Russian-backed separatists. He added that the pilot “mastered four types of aircraft and had important results to his name in defending Ukraine,” and admitted, “It is painful to lose such people.”
Russia launched a massive strike
According to Ukraine’s military, Russia launched 477 drones and 60 missiles of various types overnight. Ukrainian forces destroyed 211 drones and 38 missiles. In addition, they said that 225 drones were either decoys without explosives or failed due to electronic interference.
