Kyiv: Ukraine’s Air Force reported that an F-16 fighter jet was lost on Friday morning due to an incident on board. The pilot managed to eject successfully, according to a Ukrainian air force statement cited by Reuters.
In a Telegram post, Ukraine’s Air Force said, “Preliminary data indicates an unusual situation occurred onboard. The pilot steered the aircraft away from the settlement and ejected safely.” The military confirmed that the pilot is in good condition and suggested the crash was unlikely caused by Russian fire. An investigation has been launched to determine the full details of the incident.
The Kyiv Independent, citing the Air Force, reported that Ukraine “lost contact” with the F-16 during a mission to fend off a Russian aerial attack overnight on May 16. After an emergency arose on the aircraft, the pilot diverted away from populated areas and ejected, with search and rescue teams retrieving him.
According to initial reports, the pilot destroyed three Russian aerial targets and was engaging a fourth when the emergency occurred, leading to the loss of communication around 3:30 am local time and the pilot’s ejectment. The fate of the aircraft or its crash site remains undisclosed.
This follows the loss of Ukraine’s first F-16 in August 2024, which resulted in the death of pilot Oleksii Mes. Another pilot, Pavlo Ivanov, was killed during a combat mission in April. Ukraine began operating F-16 jets received from the Netherlands and Denmark in 2024 to help counter Russian missile and drone attacks across the country.
