This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed that an F-16 fighter jet crashed while repelling a missile and drone strike by the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine.
The General Staff said in a Facebook post on August 29 that Ukrainian F-16s engaged in an air battle against the Russian barrage and shot down four enemy cruise missiles.
“During the approach to the next target, contact was lost with one of the planes. As it turned out later, the plane crashed, the pilot died,” the military said on August 29 on Facebook.
A special commission of the Defense Ministry has been appointed to determine the causes of the accident, the General Staff said.
Sabrina Singh, deputy spokeswoman for the Pentagon, said she had seen the reports about the crash of the F-16, adding that she was not aware of any request for assistance since the incident. She told a briefing that she had no further information, but added that pilots have been training in the United States and referred to the difficulties they face once in battle.
“I will say, broadly speaking, combat aviation is very complex,” Singh said. “We are very proud to train pilots here in the United States, and our allies are also training pilots for Ukraine. Everyday they fly these aircraft. There are brave men and women who defend the skies.”
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that the pilot was Oleksiy Mes and said he died while repelling a massive Russian strike. During the air battle, three cruise missiles and one drone were destroyed, the air force said.
The Wall Street Journal first reported that an F-16 was destroyed in a crash on August 26. An unidentified U.S. official quoted by the newspaper said that, although the incident occurred during a massive Russian missile barrage, initial reports indicated that the jet wasn’t shot down by enemy fire, and it was likely crashed as a result of pilot error.
CNN reported, however, that according to sources, the Ukrainian military does not believe that pilot error was the cause of the incident. The investigation into the crash is ongoing, and international experts will be invited to participate in it.
Earlier on August, the Netherlands said it allowed the use of F-16s it donated to Ukraine to be used on Russian territory.
“We have not imposed any restrictions on the use and range of the F-16s, provided that the laws of war are observed,” General Onno Eichelsheim, the commander of the Dutch armed forces, told public broadcaster NOS.
Speaking from the United States, Eichelsheim said his American colleagues “partly” agreed with his position. The Netherlands has pledged 24 F-16s to Ukraine, with the first due to arrive soon. Eichelsheim declined to say if any are currently in operation.
