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 wor...