THE first Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet has been destroyed after a crash caused by a pilot error only weeks after arriving from the West.
The plane was airborne defending the besieged country during a missile barrage when it crashed and killed the pilot, the Ukrainian General Staff said on Thursday.
APUkraine has received a number of F-16s from the West to back its defence against Russia[/caption]
GettyThe F-16s have been used to shoot down Russian missiles targeting the country[/caption]
The F-16s had “demonstrated high efficiency” and downed four Russian cruise missiles, it added.
“Connection with one of the aircraft was lost while it was approaching the next target.
“As it turned out later, the plane crashed, the pilot died,” the statement added.
Ukraine has not given detail on the size of its new fleet, though the loss is likely to have left a significant dent.
Ukraine had six of the jets, The Times has previously reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed on August 4 his pilots had started flying F-16s.
He hailed the moment as a major milestone in the fight against the invasion Russia launched at the start of 2022.
He said on Tuesday F-16s were used to repel a major Russian attack a day earlier of more than 200 missiles and drones, which targeted the energy sector.
Monday’s crash did not appear to be the result of Russian fire, and possible causes from pilot error to mechanical failure were still being investigated, a US defence official told Reuters.
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