According to Ukrainian army, US F-16 fighter jet crashes and kills pilot

Ukraine said Thursday that one of its United States F-16 fighter jets crashed while repelling a Russian airstrike, killing the pilot on board. A U.S. official confirmed to CBS News that the F-16 crashed on Monday.

The announcement marks the first reported destruction of an F-16 in Ukraine, just weeks after Kyiv began delivering the supersonic aircraft.

CBS News learned that initial reports indicate the plane was not shot down by the Russians.

“F-16 fighter jets of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were used together with units of the anti-aircraft missile troops to repel a missile attack by the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine,” the Ukrainian army said.

“During the approach to the next target, communication with one of the aircraft was lost. As it later turned out, the aircraft crashed and the pilot died,” it said.

The pilot's name was not disclosed, but a Ukrainian Air Force unit said one of its pilots, Oleksiy Mes, was killed in a plane crash on Monday while repelling a Russian air strike.

“On August 26, Oleksiy destroyed three cruise missiles and an attack drone while repelling a massive combined Russian missile and air strike,” Ukraine's Western Air Command said.

“Oleksiy saved Ukrainians from deadly Russian missiles. Unfortunately, at the cost of his own life,” it said.

The announcements are a blow to Ukraine, which has long relied on a fleet of outdated Soviet-era MiG-29 and Sukhoi fighter jets and had requested the F-16 fighter jets to defend against heavy Russian air attacks.

Moscow fired a wave of Attack drones and missiles on Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack as one of the “largest” attacks of the Russian invasion that has been going on for two and a half years.

Earlier this month, Selenskyj said the newly arrived F-16 fighter jets will increase the country's war effort against Russia.

Made in the USA, the F-16 is an iconic fighter jet that has been the frontline combat aircraft of choice for NATO and numerous air forces around the world for 50 years.

president Biden gave the green light in August 2023 for the use of used F-16 fighter jets in Ukraine, but the USA will not supply its own aircraft.