Ukrainian F-16 Destroyed In Crash Just Weeks After Arrival

A Ukrainian air force F-16 fighter jet was destroyed in a crash on Monday, just weeks after the country received the American-made aircraft, The Wall Street Journal reported.

According to the news publication, earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the arrival of the first of 80 F-16s in the country. While the Ukrainian air force didn’t specify the number of aircraft received, a U.S. official confirmed a total of six aircraft had arrived with six Ukrainian pilots trained to operate them.

The cause of Monday’s crash remains unclear amid conflicting reports. The WSJ suggested the crash was likely due to pilot error, as initial reports indicated the jet was not brought down by enemy fire. However, a Ukrainian military source told CNN that the Ukrainian Defense Forces do not believe pilot error was the cause.

CNN further reported that pilot Oleksiy Mes, known as “Moonfish,” was killed in the crash while defending against what was described as Russia’s largest aerial assault on Ukraine. Moonfish was one of the few pilots trained to fly the F-16s. According to the source, Ukrainian pilots began their training in the U.S. last fall, and while the standard training period is one year, Moonfish and the others completed it in just six months.