--- title: "Ukrainian Pilot Killed In First F-16 Loss" description: "Only six F-16s and a similar number of pilots were available to Ukraine as the type just entered service weeks ago. Only six F-16s and a similar number of pilots were available to Ukraine as the type just entered service weeks ago." date: "2024-08-29" modified: "2024-08-29" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/air/ukrainian-pilot-killed-in-first-f-16-loss" categories: - "Air" - "Air Forces" - "Around The Globe" - "Europe" - "F-16" - "Fighters" - "News & Features" - "Ukraine" - "Ukrainian Air Force" tags: - "death" - "russia" - "Ukraine" --- # Ukrainian Pilot Killed In First F-16 Loss ![Ukraine lost its third F-16 Viper, however the pilot survived.]() *\Ukrainian Air Force\* Ukraine has confirmed the loss of its first [F-16 fighter]() and one of its pilots in a crash during a combat mission earlier this week. The incident is a significant blow for the Ukrainian Air Force, which has so far only received a small number of the jets, and more importantly, only a handful of combat-qualified F-16 pilots. In a post on [Facebook](), Air Command “West” of the Ukrainian Air Force confirmed that Oleksiy Mes died last Monday, August 26, but not before he shot down three Russian cruise missiles and a single one-way attack drone. This was part of an attempt to repulse a major Russian missile and drone attack directed against Ukraine, the largest of the war so far, which you can read more about [here](). https://twitter.com/KpsZSU/status/1829207211098419621 The aircraft type Mes was flying was not initially named but was subsequently [confirmed]() by the Ukrainian General Staff as an F-16, adding that the same type shot down four Russian cruise missiles during the same raid. ![]() *One of the first official images of an F-16 in Ukraine, configured for an air defense mission. *Ukrainian Ministry of Defense screencap** An unnamed U.S. official also confirmed the fatal crash of a Ukrainian F-16 in an incident on Monday, *The Wall Street Journal* [reported]() today. Details of exactly what happened are unclear, although, according to the *WSJ*, “initial reports indicate the jet wasn’t shot down by enemy fire.” That information was provided by the same U.S. official who suggested that the crash was “likely a result of pilot error.” There is currently no confirmation that this is the case, however, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces have apparently refuted this, according to a [report]() from *CNN*, which also notes that the pilot was buried today. https://twitter.com/MelaniePodolyak/status/1829179822138130466 As for the pilot who was killed, Oleksiy Mes, callsign “Moonfish,” was already known as one of the Ukrainian Air Force aviators who was most active in campaigning for the country to receive F-16s. He promoted the cause in Washington, alongside “Juice,” a Ukrainian MiG-29 pilot killed in an accident [almost exactly a year ago](). https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/1829173962515059197 “It is really a super fun jet to fly,” Moonfish had said about the F-16, in a video interview during training on the jet in Denmark earlier this summer. “I’m not saying the MiG I flew before is super boring. But the F-16 is definitely more agile.” https://twitter.com/NATO/status/1820839174389313596 Reports of the death of Mes had emerged earlier this week, including in a [statement]() from Ihor Polishchuk, the mayor of the city of Lutsk, in northwest Ukraine. Initially, there were reports that Mes had been killed on the ground, in one of the Russian missile strikes, while other claims suggested he may have been killed while flying a MiG-29. Regardless, Polishchuk appears to have retracted his original claim, which led to some uncertainty about exactly what happened. The first F-16s were only confirmed as having [arrived in Ukraine in late July](), this date apparently having been set as the deadline for the first deliveries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this week confirmed that F-16s flew combat missions to try and shoot down cruise missiles and drones launched by Russia in the heavy wave of attacks on Monday. ![UNSPECIFIED, UKRAINE - AUGUST 4: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi stands in front of the first General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon received by Ukraine as he congratulates Ukrainian military on the Day of Ukrainian Air Force on August 4, 2024 in Unspecified, Ukraine. At the event for the Day of Ukrainian Air Force with the participation of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, the first General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons received by Ukraine were demonstrated. (Photo by Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)]() *Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stands in front of one of the first F-16s received by Ukraine as he congratulates the Ukrainian military on the Day of Ukrainian Air Force on August 4, 2024. *Photo by Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images* VITALII NOSACH* While Ukraine was almost inevitably going to lose an F-16 at some point, the timing could hardly be worse. According to the *WSJ*, only six examples of the fighter had arrived in Ukraine as of Monday. The source of this figure is a second unnamed U.S. official. However, with [around 85]() F-16s having been made available, it’s the loss of an F-16 pilot that will be even more troubling for Ukraine. According to a late July [report]() in the *Washington Post*, only six Ukrainian pilots had qualified to fly the F-16 in combat by that point, limiting the number of sorties that could be flown each day. The loss of one of the first Ukrainian pilots to be trained on the F-16, and therefore an experienced combat aviator, will make this an even heavier blow. *Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()