Heavy blow for Ukraine: An F-16 goes down, the renowned pilot Oleksiy Mes loses his life during a massive air strike.
KIEV - A U.S.-made F-16 fighter jet crashed on Monday (Aug. 26) during a Russian attack on Ukraine's power grid, killing a senior Ukrainian pilot. The incident, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, came just weeks after the long-awaited arrival of the first combat aircraft in the war-torn country.
The deceased pilot was Oleksiy Mes, also known by the nickname "Moonfish", who died while attempting to repel the largest air strike ever launched by Russia against Ukraine. A Ukrainian military spokesman told CNN that no human error on the part of the pilot was the cause of the crash and that international experts will be invited to investigate.
An unnamed US official had previously expressed suspicion in the Wall Street Journal that the incident was the result of pilot error and that the fighter jet was not shot down by Putin's army.
Meanwhile, the widely followed Ukrainian X-account "MilitaryNewsUA" noted in a post: "During the massive attack, he destroyed three cruise missiles and a combat drone. The defender heroically fought his last battle in the sky. By order of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, he was posthumously awarded the military rank of colonel."
Moscow's major attack on Ukrainian infrastructure
The crash of the F-16 fighter jet represents a serious setback for Ukraine, as the first F-16s only arrived in Ukraine earlier this month and 'Moonfish' was one of the few trained pilots.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that the Ukrainian Air Force deployed F-16 jets to intercept Russian missiles and drones on Monday - a first combat use. That day, Russian drones and missiles bombed Ukrainian infrastructure in 15 regions, killing at least four people and damaging the Kyiv hydroelectric power plant and an unspecified number of power generation and transmission facilities, according to the Kyiv Post.
F-16 fighter jet crashes in Ukraine: Oleksiy Mes was a staunch supporter of the fighter jets
The delivery of the F-16 jets had been demanded by President Zelensky since the beginning of the Russian invasion, but Western countries were initially hesitant. Eventually, the Netherlands and Denmark promised to deliver the jets in early summer 2023, while the US only approved the transfer later.
The deceased, Oleksiy Mes, played a central role in the campaign to secure the F-16 deliveries and was among the few pilots trained to operate them. He is also believed to have been Ukraine's first trained F-16 pilot.
Described by CNN as a quiet but passionate aviation enthusiast, "Moonfish" was convinced that the F-16s could give Ukraine a decisive advantage, even if their capabilities lagged behind the latest Russian fighter jets.
