A top Ukrainian pilot, known as 'Moonfish,' tragically lost his life when a US-made F-16 fighter jet crashed on Monday during a combat mission against a major aerial attack by Russia. The pilot, Oleksiy Mes, was one of the few trained to fly the newly arrived F-16s, which were deployed to repel the Russian assault. The crash, which occurred shortly after the F-16s were delivered to Ukraine, is under investigation with plans to involve international experts in the probe.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the Ukrainian Air Force utilized the F-16s to combat Russian missiles and drones, marking the first operational use of the jets. Ukraine had long sought the F-16s as part of its defense strategy, with Western allies eventually agreeing to provide the aircraft after extensive negotiations.
