A Ukrainian pilot was assassinated and an F-16 fighter aircraft shot down in a relentless Russian missile and drone attack, Ukraine’s military said on Sunday, as per Reuters.
The Ukrainian air force reported that the pilot was able to destroy seven airborne targets during Russia’s missile campaign, but his plane was hit during destroying the seventh one and started to lose altitude. “The pilot utilized all of his onboard weapons and destroyed seven air targets. While destroying the last one, his aircraft was damaged and started losing altitude,” the air force reported in a Telegram post quoted by Reuters.
The Kyiv military reported that the pilot attempted to steer the damaged F-16 clear of populated regions but was not able to eject in time.
Scope of Russia’s Nighttime Raids
Russia unleashed a huge nighttime offensive across Ukraine’s western, southern, and central areas, launching hundreds of drones as well as cruise and ballistic missiles. Local officials heard explosions in parts of Lviv, Poltava, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Cherkasy.
As per the Ukrainian military statistics, Moscow fired at six targets in the country, releasing 477 drones and 60 missiles of different types. Ukraine’s air defense was able to destroy 211 drones and 38 missiles in the attack.
Third F-16 Lost in War
This is the third time that an F-16 fighter plane has been lost by Ukraine in its current conflict with Russia, based on military reports. The mass attack also targeted houses and vital infrastructure, injuring at least six civilians.