Ukrainian Air Force Command (UAF) reported on Saturday on Facebook the death of Paweł Ivanov, a 26-year-old fighter pilot who He was killed on a combat mission in an F-16 Viper fighter.
Although the authoritative message did not specify the location or circumstances of the plane's loss, both Russian and Ukrainian military bloggers claimed that The aircraft was shot down by a ground-to-air missile., which provoked speculation about whether the aircraft was shot down by Russian forces or as a consequence of friendly fire by Ukrainian air defense.
UAF continues: “We offer the most sincere condolences to Paul’s family. He died in battle, defending his homeland from invaders.”
"Today F-16 pilots carry out combat missions in different directions under incredibly hard conditions, providing a devastating shield to impact groups and hitting enemy objects".
Further string of article under video material
"Ukrainian pilots work to the maximum of their human and method capabilities, each time risking their lives during combat missions. Paul was 1 of them!’ Added: the circumstances of the tragedy have already been established within the framework of an ongoing interministerial committee inquiry.
F-16s fly all day
The failure of a Viper is not easy. second confirmed failure of 1 of the comparatively tiny number of aircraft, which Ukraine received from NATO consortium F-16. The first failure occurred on 26 August 2024. It killed the pilot Alexey “Moonfish” Mes as the aircraft responded to a major Russian rocket attack. The incidental was first described in the "Wall Street Journal" among speculations that it was besides an incidental of "friendly fire" or simply a consequence of mechanical failure.
As “Kyiv Post” reported on Friday, American General Christopher G. Cavali, Chief Commander of the Alliance Force in Europe (SACEUR), told the United States legislature Armed Services Committee that Ukrainian F-16 pilots fly “everyday”. He said that they were doing both defensive operations against Russian maneuvering missiles and attacks of the kamikaze drones Shahid, and an offensive on Russian forces in the east region of Ukraine.
