'Results of F-16 crash investigation will be known shortly' - Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief
Commander of the Army of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi (Photo: (t.me/landforcesofukraine)
the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Oleksandr Syrskyi, in an interview with CNN, stated that the results of the investigation into the F-16 crash are expected to be known soon. Despite the tragedy, the effectiveness of these aircraft has already been proven through their results.
Commenting on the crash, Syrskyi emphasized that the F-16 pilots were well-prepared. They had been trained in allied training institutions, and the best pilots, who already had experience effectively using these aircraft, were selected for this mission.
According to the Commander-in-Chief, a special commission from the Ministry of Defense is investigating the F-16 crash, and the results are expected to be known soon. He also added that the deceased F-16 pilot had shot down two missiles and "was simply attacking, pursuing a third cruise missile using onboard weapons."
"I think the results of the investigation will be known to everyone shortly. And on the one hand, we are not going to hide it, but on the other hand, the effectiveness of the use of these aircraft has been proven by the results – the destruction of four cruise missiles by a pair of F-16s, so this will certainly strengthen our defense capabilities, first of all in the fight against enemy cruise missiles," Syrskyi noted.
First loss of F-16
On August 29, The Wall Street Journal reported that one of the F-16 fighter jets had crashed in Ukraine. RBC-Ukraine contacted the Air Force for comment, but they neither confirmed nor denied the information. Later, it was officially confirmed that pilot Oleksii Mesia had died, and the General Staff, in turn, confirmed the loss of the F-16.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that US officials consider it unlikely that the F-16 fighter jet in Ukraine was shot down by fire from a Patriot system.
