Delivered 1 month ago

First F-16 fighter jet crashes in Ukraine

(Bild: AP)

The first F-16 fighter jets were delivered to the Ukraine just a month ago - now the first aircraft has crashed there. A pilot error is said to be to blame for the accident. 

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the crash occurred on Monday. On that day, Russia had launched a massive aerial attack on Ukraine. There had also been bombing in the area where the F-16 was operating. However, the fighter jet is not said to have been shot down - rather, the pilot is said to have made a serious mistake.

A picture of the pilot who is said to have died in the crash:

Killed pilot was only 30 years old
According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, the plane was supposedly on combat duty for the first time during the air raids. It was supposed to shoot down Russian missiles. The 30-year-old pilot, Oleksiy Mes, lost his life in the accident, reported the Ukrainian General Staff in Kiev. He was buried on Thursday.

Before the crash, the delivered fighter jets had proved to be valuable - four Russian guided missiles had been intercepted. However, the tragedy occurred during the onward flight to the next destination. Contact with one of the aircraft was lost. 

The loss of the F-16 is devastating for Ukraine - only six of the US-built aircraft have been delivered so far. Ukraine had been asking for months for the modern fighter jets to be made available to them. The death of the pilot is also very painful - only six people have been trained in the use of the F-16.

The F-16 fighter jets are among the most powerful in the world - they can be used both in air defense and against targets on the ground. In addition, access to spare parts is much better than with the Soviet types previously used by the Ukrainian air force.