Ukrainian F-16 Destroyed in Crash Just Weeks After Arrival

Pilot Oleksiy Mes, known as 'Moonfish,' is killed while defending against what is described as Russia’s largest aerial assault on Ukraine.

Amelia Walsh

Friday, August 30, 2024 at 10:55 AM ET

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Edited By: tccjeremy

An F-16 [Credit: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

A Ukrainian Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed and was destroyed on Monday, just weeks after the country received the first American-made aircraft.
The cause of the crash is disputed, with *The Wall Street Journal* suggesting pilot error, while Ukrainian military sources do not believe that was the cause.
Pilot Oleksiy Mes, known as "Moonfish" and one of the few F-16 trained pilots who completed an accelerated training program, was killed in the crash while defending against a major Russian aerial assault.

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A Ukrainian Air Force F-16 fighter jet was destroyed in a crash on Monday, just weeks after the country received the American-made aircraft, The Wall Street Journal reported.

According to the Journal, earlier this month, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the arrival of the first of 80 F-16s in the country. While the Ukrainian Air Force didn’t specify the number of aircraft received, a U.S. official confirmed a total of six had arrived with six Ukrainian pilots trained to operate them.