Ukraine confirms the loss of an supplied F-16 following an accident.

A Ukrainian F-16 was destroyed on Monday, August 26, 2024, under unclear circumstances. Initially, the death of the pilot was announced. It is known that the accident occurred during a Russian missile attack on the base where the F-16s were stored, with the F-16s airborne at the time in an attempt to intercept the missiles, just a few weeks after the much-anticipated arrival of the aircraft in the country.
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“The F-16s are a reality in the Ukrainian sky,” said President Volodymyr Zelensky on August 18, 2024, at an undisclosed location. Two aircraft were on the tarmac, and two others flew over the ceremony. (Picture source: Ukrainien presidency)

In an official announcement confirming the accident and the pilot's death, Ukraine stated that an internal investigation would be conducted to determine the real causes of the crash. For now, the accident is being considered the most likely cause. The investigation may possibly involve international participation.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense issued a statement saying that, to repel a missile attack from the Russian Federation on Ukrainian territory, F-16 fighters of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were deployed, along with anti-aircraft missile units. During the approach to the target, contact was lost with one of the aircraft. It was later confirmed that the plane had crashed and the pilot had died. To determine the cause of the crash, a special commission from the Ministry of Defense was appointed, which is working in the area where the aircraft went down.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Tuesday that the Ukrainian Air Force had used the F-16 to destroy missiles and drones launched by Russia on Monday, marking the first time a Ukrainian official confirmed the use of these aircraft in combat.

Verkhovna Rada deputy Maryana Bezuglaya stated that the Ukrainian Air Force F-16 fighter, whose loss became known today, may have been shot down due to "friendly fire." She wrote on her Telegram channel ( on  that, according to her information, the F-16 flown by Ukrainian pilot Alexei "Moonfish" Mesya was downed by a Patriot anti-aircraft missile system due to a lack of coordination between units.

This hypothesis may be credible, as Patriot batteries are regularly used to destroy and intercept missiles in flight. Several explanations could account for this destruction. The first is a direct Patriot missile strike, which would be surprising given that the Patriot system identifies targets as friend or foe. However, the Patriot operates through a constant link with radar, and if that link is jammed or severed, the missile can go astray since it is not equipped with an onboard radar.

It is therefore unlikely that the missile was deliberately launched against Colonel Oleksiy Mesya’s F-16, but a collision course between the two remains possible and seems to be the most likely explanation at first glance.

"Moonfish" was one of Ukraine's most well-trained pilots, having been a spokesperson for the delivery of F-16s to Ukraine. In June 2022, Moonfish visited the US with another Ukrainian pilot, call sign "Juice," to lobby for F-16s for Ukraine. They met with several US lawmakers and explained which modern weapons systems were most needed in Ukraine. As a result of this visit, US senators introduced the Ukraine Fighter Pilots Act to the United States House of Representatives on June 17, 2022. Since July 2023, Moonfish had been training in the US to become an F-16 pilot.

Kyiv had long awaited the F-16s, with Zelensky requesting fighter jets from Western allies since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

However, like other equipment, Western countries hesitated before agreeing to supply the F-16s. The Netherlands and Denmark committed to providing them in early summer 2023, but it took several more weeks for the United States to give the green light for the transfer.

Currently, due to the pace of the war, while it typically takes years to fully train to fly F-16 jets, pilots had to do so in just six months.

Ukraine hopes the F-16 will provide a much-needed boost. These aircraft are versatile: they can provide air cover to troops, attack ground targets, engage enemy planes, and intercept missiles. With the right armament, the F-16s could deter Russian fighter-bombers from approaching the battlefield.

However, these planes are not a miracle solution. Ukraine can use them to deny Russia control over the skies, but experts say their capabilities are inferior to the most modern Russian fighter jets, which would likely have the upper hand in an aerial battle against the F-16.