On Monday, while Russian missiles and drones flooded the skies over Ukraine, a skilled Ukrainian fighter pilot known by his call sign “Moonfish” was where he had always dreamed of being—in the cockpit of an advanced F-16 fighter jet, hunting down enemy targets.
This pilot, Lt. Col. Oleksiy Mes, was a key figure in Ukraine’s campaign to obtain these powerful F-16 jets from the West. The F-16, he once said, was like a Swiss Army knife—a versatile weapon capable of handling any mission. Just recently, Ukraine had finally secured a few of these jets, and Colonel Mes was among the first Ukrainian pilots trained to fly them in combat.
On that Monday, Colonel Mes was a hero in the skies, shooting down three Russian cruise missiles and one attack drone as they threatened his country. But as he pursued yet another enemy target, something went terribly wrong. Ukrainian ground control suddenly lost contact with his jet.
Tragically, the Ukrainian military soon confirmed the worst news: his plane had crashed, and Colonel Mes had died.
The loss of this celebrated pilot and one of the precious F-16 jets so soon after they joined the fight cast a heavy shadow over the battlefield. Colonel Mes had been a symbol of hope, especially during Ukraine’s ongoing battle against Russia’s massive missile and drone strikes.
President Volodymyr Zelensky responded swiftly to the tragedy. He dismissed the head of Ukraine’s Air Force and ordered a thorough investigation into what caused the crash. There were even suspicions that Colonel Mes’s jet might have been accidentally shot down by friendly fire—a missile from Ukraine’s own defense systems, like the American-made Patriot missiles.
But as the investigation unfolded, two senior U.S. military officials stated that friendly fire was probably not to blame. They pointed to other possibilities like a mechanical issue with the plane or even pilot error.
The loss was deeply felt, especially by fellow Ukrainian pilots like Anatolii Khrapchynskyi, a former Air Force officer. He expressed how painful it was to lose someone like Colonel Mes, who had been so instrumental in fighting for the right to have F-16 jets in the first place. Still, he reminded everyone that in war, losses like this—though heartbreaking—are inevitable.
Ukraine had kept its new F-16 program shrouded in secrecy, knowing that both the jets and their pilots would be prime targets for Russian attacks. Just weeks earlier, Ukraine had proudly shown off the new planes to boost the country’s morale. It was clear that pilots like Colonel Mes, who had survived countless battles, were being prioritized to fly these advanced Western jets because of their combat experience.
When Colonel Mes was laid to rest, many of those who knew him remembered his lifelong dream to be a pilot. His teacher recalled how, even as a young boy, he had said he dreamed of flying. That dream had come true, but it had also led to his ultimate sacrifice.
Even American figures like former Republican House member Adam Kinzinger remembered Colonel Mes. Kinzinger had met him when he came to Washington, D.C., lobbying for F-16 jets. He described Colonel Mes as young, vibrant, and mature beyond his years—qualities forged in the harsh reality of war.
As investigators searched for answers to what caused the crash, one thing was clear: the skies over Ukraine were more dangerous than ever. In the midst of Monday’s battle, multiple defense systems were all in play, trying to stop over 200 Russian weapons, including missiles and drones. It was a chaotic situation, with Ukrainian forces using everything from Patriot missiles to mobile Stinger units to defend their country.
While some speculated that friendly fire might have been the cause, others believed there could have been a technical failure with the plane, or perhaps fragments from a destroyed missile had struck a crucial part of the jet.
President Zelensky didn’t give a specific reason for firing the head of the Air Force, only stating that his administration was doing everything possible to protect both soldiers and civilians. One active-duty pilot, speaking anonymously, criticized Ukraine’s outdated aviation command structure. He mentioned how the old Soviet-era bureaucracy had become a hindrance, even forcing pilots like him to spend more time on paperwork than on fighting the war.
In the end, the death of Colonel Mes highlighted the harsh realities of war, where even heroes with state-of-the-art jets can be lost in the blink of an eye. The investigation continues, but for many Ukrainians, the loss of one of their finest pilots—who had once fought so hard to bring F-16s into the war—was a bitter reminder of the high price of freedom.
