A Ukrainian pilot has been killed in action after his F-16 fighter jet was shot down during a “massive” Russian attack on Ukraine.
The Air Force said in a statement that lieutenant colonel Maksym Ustymenko was killed after he shot down seven targets using “all his weapons before he was hit” to shoot down Iranian Shahed type drones.
The Air Force said the US made F-16 was damaged whilst trying to shoot down the last aerial target before the “hero” pilot lost altitude.
The Air Force wrote on Telegram, “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.
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“Maksym Ustymenko did his best to take the plane away from the settlement, but did not have time to eject,” he died “like a hero.”
The Ukrainian Air Force added, “The work of Ukrainian pilots is extremely dangerous and risky, both when striking enemy ground targets and repelling air attacks.”
Over the past month Vladimir Putin has upped his attacks on Ukraine particularly the capital, Kyiv.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russian forces have launched more than 2,700 Shahed type drones in June.
On Sunday the Air Force used “all available means” to try and prevent the attack and used F-16 fighter jets to shoot down the drones.
