An F-16 aircraft. Stock photo: Getty Images

Russian forces launched a large-scale missile and drone attack against Ukraine using various types of missiles and attack UAVs on the night of 28-29 June 2025. During this attack, First Class pilot Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustymenko was killed.

Source: Air Force of Ukraine

Quote: “Sadly, we have suffered another painful loss. Last night, while repelling a large-scale enemy air attack, First Class pilot Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustymenko, 32, was killed while flying an F-16 aircraft. The pilot used the full range of onboard weapons and shot down seven aerial targets.

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While engaging the final target, his aircraft was damaged and began to lose altitude. Maksym Ustymenko did everything he could to steer the aircraft away from a populated area but did not manage to eject in time.”

Details: Russia launched over 500 aerial assets overnight.

The F-16s shot down dozens of Shahed drones.

Background:

  • On 29 August 2024, several Western media outlets reported that an F-16 fighter jet crashed in Ukraine on 26 August.

  • Afterwards, the Air Force confirmed that pilot Oleksii Mes was killed while repelling a large-scale Russian combined missile and aviation strike.

  • Ukraine’s military command has been considering various versions of the F-16 crash, including pilot error and friendly fire from Ukrainian air defences.

  • The military command has not yet released the results of the investigation into the death of the pilot.

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