CNN
—
A Ukrainian pilot was killed and his F-16 fighter jet crashed after Russia launched an enormous aerial assault involving a whole lot of drones and scores of missiles in a single day, the Ukrainian army stated on Sunday.
The airman, named as 1st Class Lt. Col. Maksym Ustymenko by the Ukrainian air pressure, was the third F-16 pilot killed for the reason that Ukrainians started flying the jets final summer season, and his airplane was the fourth F-16 Ukraine has misplaced since then.
The air pressure stated Ustymenko “did every thing he may to steer the plane away from a populated space, however he didn’t have time to eject.”
Ustymenko’s dying is a significant loss for Ukraine. Solely a small variety of the nation’s prime pilots have been skilled to fly F-16s, probably the most superior of Ukraine’s fighter jets. The coaching is very specialised and takes months to finish.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky stated Ustymenko destroyed seven targets earlier than being killed, praising him and the Ukrainian air pressure for “heroically defending” the nation’s skies.
Zelensky stated Moscow launched 477 drones and 60 missiles in the direction of six totally different areas in a single day into Sunday – certainly one of Russia’s largest ever aerial assaults when it comes to weapons deployed, in line with a CNN tally.
Support Greater and Subscribe to view content
This is premium stuff. Subscribe to read the entire article.
