Ukrainian F-16 pilot Maksym Ustymenko killed while repelling Russian attack
Photo: pilot Maksym Ustymenko (facebook.com/lilia.aver.anova)
While repelling a Russian attack on the night of June 29, F-16 pilot Maksym Ustymenko was tragically killed. He managed to take the plane away from the settlement, according to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“Unfortunately, today we have another painful loss. Last night, while repelling a massive enemy air attack, Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustymenko, born in 1993, was killed in an F-16 aircraft,” the message says.
The pilot used the full range of onboard weapons and shot down seven air targets. During the last one, his aircraft was damaged and began to lose altitude.
“Maksym Ustymenko did his best, took the machine away from the settlement, but did not have time to eject... He died like a Hero!” the Ukrainian Air Force said.
On the night of June 29, the Russian army fired drones and missiles of various types at Ukraine. According to the Air Force, there were more than 500 air targets in total.
The enemy attacked the Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Lviv, Cherkasy, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Dnipropetrovsk regions. The Russians hit critical infrastructure and buildings, causing casualties. Read more about the consequences of the attack in RBC-Ukraine's report.
The death of pilot Oleksii Mes
In August 2024, Ukraine lost an F-16 fighter jet for the first time. It happened while repelling a massive Russian attack on August 26. The Ukrainian F-16 was shooting down enemy targets and lost communication when it was approaching a new target.
The F-16 fighter crashed. Pilot Oleksii Mes ('Moonfish') died.
In April, 26-year-old Pavlo Ivanov was killed while flying an F-16 combat mission.
