DefenseThe Ukrainian Air Force confirmed on Saturday that it has lost another F-16 fighter jet. The aircraft was on a combat mission and crashed under unclear circumstances, killing pilot Pavlo Ivanov, 26.
Russian and Ukrainian blogs and social media profiles claimed that the F-16 had been shot down by a surface-to-air missile, although leaving open the possibility of ‘friendly fire’.
In a post on X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mourned the loss. “Today, Captain Pavlo Ivanov was tragically killed during an F-16 combat mission. The guy was only 26. My condolences to his family and to all of Pavlo’s brothers-in-arms,” he said.
Zelenskyy also said that the air force is investigating the circumstances of the downing.
The latest downing of an F-16 is the second confirmed by Ukraine. On August 26, 2024, shortly after putting the aircraft into service, the air force lost one of the jets, piloted by Oleksii “Moonfish” Mes, who was defending against a Russian drone and missile attack.
Countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Norway are transferring their F-16s to Ukraine, but the exact number of aircraft is not known.
France has also begun delivering Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighters configured for strike missions.
Both the Mirages and F-16s feature advanced electronic warfare systems to evade missiles.
