Ukrainian F-16 pilot killed during Russian missile attack

Last Updated 1 week by Amnon J. Jobi | Amnon Front Page

A Ukrainian fighter pilot known as “Moonfish” died this week during a Russian missile attack.

Oleksiy Mes’ death is a major blow to Ukraine as he was just one of six Ukrainian air force pilots qualified to fly an F-16, which started arriving in the country in early August.

He underwent training in Denmark and appeared in a video released by Ukraine.

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“Duration of the training that we are going through is really short,” he said in the video.

Mes fiercely advocated for the U.S. to allow Ukraine to receive F-16s, making a lobbying trip to Washington, D.C., in 2022.

Mes is being remembered as a hero. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said F-16s were responsible for shooting down Russian missiles

and drones during Monday’s attack.

The chief of the Ukrainian air force said U.S. experts are on the ground trying to determine the exact cause of the crash, adding that rumors of the jet being brought down by friendly fire are untrue.

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