Ukraine is mourning a significant loss after its first F-16 fighter jet crashed earlier this week, killing one of its top pilots. This is a huge setback for the Ukrainian Air Force, which has only recently started receiving these advanced jets.

The Crash and Its Impact

On August 26, 2024, Oleksiy Mes, a pilot known by his call sign "Moonfish," was flying an F-16 on a critical mission when his plane went down. Before the crash, Mes had already achieved a remarkable feat: he shot down three Russian cruise missiles and an attack drone during a major Russian assault on Ukraine. This was part of a huge wave of missile and drone strikes that Russia launched against Ukraine, the largest attack of the war so far.

One of the first official images of an F-16 in Ukraine, configured for an air defense mission. Ukrainian Ministry of Defense screencap

The Ukrainian Air Force initially didn’t specify the type of jet involved, but it was later confirmed as an F-16 by the General Staff...