“He heroically fought his final battle within the sky. Oleksiy destroyed three cruise missiles and one kamikaze drone, whereas repelling a large Russian mixed air and missile assault. Oleksiy saved Ukrainians from lethal Russian missiles. Sadly, at the price of his personal life,” the air pressure command mentioned.
Russia fired greater than 127 missiles and 100 drones at Ukraine on Monday, focusing on largely crucial vitality infrastructure, together with a dam within the Kyiv area.
The Wall Avenue Journal was the primary to report on the lack of the F-16, citing an nameless U.S. official. The primary fighters solely arrived in Ukraine this month after years of strain from Kyiv on its allies.
Mes was some of the vocal pilots calling for Ukraine to be given F-16s. Along with one other pilot, Andriy “Juice” Pilshchykov, who was killed in a crash in August 2023, Mes traveled to the U.S. to foyer for higher jets to guard Ukraine.
“Oleksiy was an exemplary pilot. All the time a wonderful pupil, at all times the primary, at all times the most effective,” Tetiana Shevchuk, a buddy of each pilots, wrote on Fb. “He was the primary Ukrainian pilot to sit down on the controls of an F-16 and the primary to fly fight missions.”
