F-16 Pilot Maksym Ustymenko Killed During Night Attack Repulsion

A Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet went down during a night combat mission to repel a Russian air attack.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported the incident on its official Telegram channel.

The fallen hero, First Class Pilot Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustymenko, bravely engaged the enemy, deploying all available onboard weapons and successfully shooting down seven aerial targets.

As noted by the Ukrainian Air Force press service, during the engagement with the final target, the aircraft sustained damage, resulting in a loss of altitude.

Ustymenko did everything possible to steer the F-16 fighter jet away from a populated area, but was unable to eject in time.

“The work of Ukrainian fighter pilots is extremely dangerous and risky, whether striking enemy ground targets or repelling air attacks. Yet, despite all odds, our pilots heroically carry out their missions, achieving maximum results,” the Air Force stated.

The fallen pilot was born in 1993.

This marks the fourth F-16 fighter jet lost by Ukraine’s Air Force, and the third in the past three months. In total, Ukraine has lost three pilots who died while performing combat missions in this type of aircraft.

In April 2025, 26-year-old pilot Pavlo Ivanov was killed during a combat mission.

Later, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky posthumously awarded Ivanov the title of Hero of Ukraine, accompanied by the presentation of the Order of the Gold Star.

A year earlier, in August 2024, another F-16 fighter jet crashed while fighting off a Russian air attack. Pilot Oleksii Mes, call sign Moonfish, was killed in that incident.

Meanwhile, during an incident on May 16, 2025, another pilot managed to eject after losing the aircraft while repelling an air attack.