An update from TASS states that the US-made F-16 fighter jet, which was delivered to Ukraine earlier this year, was downed by a friendly fire incident involving a Ukrainian Patriot air defense system. This information was shared by Ukrainian lawmaker Maryana Bezuglaya. She criticized the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces for misrepresenting the event as a “crash” and called out the lack of coordination between military units that led to this unfortunate incident.
According to Bezuglaya, no generals were punished in connection with the downing of both the aircraft and its pilot, Alexey Mes, who was trained to fly F-16s. An unidentified US official had previously told the Wall Street Journal that Ukraine had lost a donated F-16 fighter jet in this first instance. The official stated that the jet wasn’t shot down and that the crash was likely due to pilot error.
In an article by The Wall Street Journal, US and Ukrainian officials revealed that the F-16 crashed during combat in Ukraine’s skies just weeks after some one dozen of the American-made aircraft were transferred to Kiev’s armed forces. Pilot Oleksiy Mes died while repelling a massive Russian missile attack on Monday. Initial reports indicated that the jet wasn’t shot down by enemy fire, according to US officials.
The crash could be highly embarrassing for the Ukrainian government, which had publicly touted the fighter jet program as a “game-changer.” However, more realist observers argue that it is too late for such aerial systems to significantly change Russia’s clear military, manpower, and aerial superiority.
The cause of the crash remains unknown, and an investigation is underway. Pilot Oleksiy Mes was instrumental in helping spearhead Kiev’s lobbying efforts to get the F-16s for Ukraine program off the ground. The report indicates that Mes was a key figure in the aircraft downing incident.
