Ukraine has lost contact with an F-16 fighter jet during a mission, Ukrainian authorities announced today, quoted by DPA, BTA reported.
This is the third aircraft of this type that the Ukrainian Air Force has lost, the agency notes. The pilot managed to eject and is not in a life-threatening condition, the Air Force specified.
"Ukrainska Pravda" reported that the Ukrainian fighter jet was on a mission to repel an enemy air attack. A commission has been appointed to objectively clarify all the circumstances, which has already begun its work.
Ukraine has long insisted on F-16 fighters and will receive the first aircraft in the summer of 2024. The American warplanes were provided to Kiev by Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway. Later, Ukraine also received a new "Mirage" aircraft.
Kiev already announced in late August the loss of the first F-16, which crashed while repelling a Russian missile attack, killing the US-trained pilot.
Russia said in mid-April that it had shot down a second such fighter jet, but this information was not confirmed by the Ukrainian side. However, the Ukrainian Air Force reported the death of one of its pilots, Pavlo Ivanov, during a combat mission with an F-16.
Meanwhile, this morning, the Ukrainian Air Force said that Russia had attacked Ukraine with 112 drones today, continuing the attacks despite the ultimatum from Europe and the US for a ceasefire issued on Monday. The Ukrainian military said it had shot down 73 of these drones over the eastern, northern, southern and central parts of the country.