President Zelenskyy ordered an investigation into the circumstances of the F-16 pilot`s death following the attack.
Following a large-scale overnight attack using missiles and drones targeting military and industrial sites across Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a statement. Earlier reports indicated that the Ukrainian Air Force had lost an F-16 fighter jet and its pilot during the defense against this attack.
In a message on his Telegram channel, Zelenskyy stated, “Air raid sirens sounded across Ukraine for most of the night – there were 477 drones… and 60 missiles of various types in our sky,” adding that emergency services are still working.
Zelenskyy confirmed that an F-16 aircraft crashed during the extensive strikes and that pilot Maksym Ustymenko was killed.
“I have instructed that all circumstances surrounding the death be investigated,” he noted.
Zelenskyy also provided figures for the week`s attacks, stating that Ukraine was targeted by over 114 missiles, more than 1270 drones, and nearly 1100 guided aerial bombs (KABs) in total. He reiterated his desire to acquire American air defense systems and expressed hope for “leadership, political will, and support” from the United States and Europe.
