A Ukrainian pilot has been killed and his F-16 fighter jet lost as Ukraine’s military forces worked to repel a large-scale Russian drone and missile attack.
Ukraine’s military confirmed the loss on Sunday morning.
This is the third such loss of an F-16 fighter jet since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the military said.
“The pilot used all of his onboard weapons and shot down seven air targets. While shooting down the last one, his aircraft was damaged and began to lose altitude,” Ukraine’s air force said on the Telegram messaging app.
The pilot flew the jet away from civilian settlements and did not have time to eject to save himself, the message read.
Russia launched 537 drones and missiles into Ukraine overnight into Sunday morning, according to Ukraine’s air force, with a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet and its pilot also reported lost during efforts to repel the attack.
