Ukraine F-16 Pilot Dies in Heavy Russian Strike, Zelenskyy Seeks US Aid
A Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilot lost his life when his aircraft went down while defending against an intense Russian air assault involving hundreds of drones and missiles, officials confirmed Sunday, as the conflict stretches into its fourth year.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy honored the fallen pilot, Maksym Ustymenko, posthumously awarding him the title of Hero of Ukraine, the nation’s highest honor.
Following the strike, Zelenskyy renewed his call for increased military aid from the United States and Western allies to reinforce Ukraine’s air defenses. The attack caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure, leaving at least 12 injured, local authorities reported.
In Kyiv, families took shelter in metro stations as air raid sirens sounded. Gunfire and explosions echoed through the capital and Lviv in western Ukraine, a region less frequently targeted.
The governor of Lviv region, adjacent to Poland, confirmed the strike hit vital infrastructure.
Ukraine has now lost three F-16 fighter jets since deploying the US-made aircraft last year. The exact size of Ukraine’s F-16 fleet remains undisclosed, but the jets are a critical part of the country’s defensive strategy.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported the pilot steered the damaged plane away from a populated area but was unable to eject before the crash.
“The pilot fired all onboard weapons and downed seven air targets. During the final engagement, the jet sustained damage and lost altitude,” the Air Force posted on Telegram.
Military analyst Roman Svitan previously remarked that while valuable, the F-16 isn’t suited for every mission in Ukraine’s war, particularly against slow-moving drones used to attack Ukrainian cities.
In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy noted that Ustymenko had participated in operations dating back to 2014 against Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
“He mastered four different aircraft models and had significant achievements defending Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said. “It’s a painful loss.”
The Ukrainian military reported that Russia launched 477 drones and 60 missiles of various kinds overnight.
Of these, Ukrainian forces intercepted 211 drones and 38 missiles, while electronic warfare measures disabled or misdirected an additional 225 drones, many of which were decoys.
On X (formerly Twitter), Zelenskyy stated, “Moscow will continue launching mass strikes while it retains the capability.” He disclosed that over one week, Russia fired 114 missiles, 1,270 drones, and 1,100 glide bombs at Ukraine.
Russia’s RIA Novosti agency reported that a Ukrainian drone killed one person in Russian-occupied Luhansk. Both countries claim they do not intentionally target civilians.
Ukraine insists these ongoing strikes demonstrate the urgent need for further US support, which under President Donald Trump has yet to commit new military aid packages.
Trump indicated he was considering Ukraine’s appeal for additional Patriot missile systems after a meeting with Zelenskyy at a NATO summit last Wednesday.
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“This war must be ended — we need to pressure the aggressor and shield our nation,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “Ukraine must strengthen its air defenses to protect lives.”
He reiterated Ukraine’s readiness to purchase US air defense systems and expressed hope for decisive action from the US, Europe, and allied nations.
In recent weeks, Russia has staged frequent large-scale assaults on Ukrainian cities, killing scores of civilians and injuring hundreds.
During the latest attack, explosions were reported in Kyiv, Lviv, Poltava, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, according to officials and witnesses.
The military said air strikes hit six different areas.
In the Cherkasy region, 11 people, including two children, were injured, the regional governor announced on Telegram.
Three residential high-rises and a college building sustained damage. In Ivano-Frankivsk, one woman was hurt.
Rescue teams evacuated residents from damaged apartment buildings in Cherkasy, where walls were scorched and windows shattered. (Reuters)
