F-16 pilot Pavlo Ivanov was killed during a combat mission

On Saturday, April 12, 26-year-old Pavlo Ivanov was killed while flying an F-16 combat mission.

The Air Force said that the circumstances of the tragedy are being established by an interagency commission that has already begun its work.

“We express our deepest condolences to Pavlo’s family. He was killed in action, defending his native land from the invaders,” the statement said.

As noted, today F-16 pilots are performing combat missions in various areas in incredibly difficult conditions almost every day, providing fighter cover for air strike groups and striking enemy targets.

“Ukrainian pilots work to the maximum of their human and technical capabilities, risking their lives every time they perform combat missions. Pavlo was one of them,” the statement reads.

This is the second tragedy involving F-16 fighters that have recently entered service in Ukraine.

Last August, an F-16 fighter jet crashed while repelling a Russian air attack.

Pilot Oleksii Mes, call sign “Moonfish,” was killed. He was 30 years old.

At that time, a special commission of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine was also appointed to investigate the causes of the accident.

The transfer of F-16 fighters to the Ukrainian Air Force was a lengthy process.

On August 4, 2024, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi confirmed that the first aircraft had already arrived in Ukraine and showed them off at a secret airfield.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine welcomes the use of American fighter jets in the skies over Ukraine. These aircraft are used primarily to shoot down air targets.