Ukrainian pilot killed, F-16 downed amid heavy Russian missile attack
Jun 29, 2025 11:39 AM IST
A Ukrainian pilot died and an F-16 fighter jet was lost while defending against a large Russian missile and drone attack at night, the Ukrainian military said on Sunday, reported news agency Reuters. One of the last two promised F16 fighter jets is leaving Volkel Air Base on its way to be handed over to Ukraine, in Volkel, on May 26, 2025. Ukraine received its first F-16 jets from the Netherlands and Denmark in 2024.(AFP)
The Ukrainian Air Force said the pilot shot down seven air targets during Russia's missile attack, but his aircraft was damaged while taking down the last one and began to lose altitude.
"The pilot used all of his onboard weapons and shot down seven air targets. While shooting down the last one, his aircraft was damaged and began to lose altitude," the Ukrainian Air Force said in a post on Telegram, reported Reuters.
According to the military, this is the third time an F-16 has been lost during the war.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
18 minutes ago
- First Post
Over 30 detained in Istanbul as police disrupt banned Pride March
Authorities have banned Pride marches in Turkey's largest city since 2015, citing public safety and security concerns read more Turkish police detained at least 30 individuals in central Istanbul on Sunday as they attempted to participate in a Pride March, which authorities had prohibited as part of a years-long crackdown on LGBTQ+ gatherings, according to an opposition legislator. Reuters video saw police scuffling with a group of protestors brandishing rainbow flags in the city centre before collecting them up and putting them into police vehicles. Kezban Konukcu, a pro-Kurdish DEM Party legislator who joined the march, told Reuters that at least 30 people were detained. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Police did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The Istanbul governor's office had already declared the march illegal, claiming that parties supporting it were acting 'illegally'. Authorities have banned Pride marches in Turkey's largest city since 2015, citing public safety and security concerns. President Tayyip Erdogan's Islamist-rooted AK Party has adopted increasingly harsh rhetoric against the LGBTQ+ community over the past decade. In January, Erdogan declared 2025 the 'Year of the Family,' describing Turkey's declining birth rate as an existential threat and accusing the LGBTQ+ movement of undermining traditional values. 'The primary goal of the gender neutralization policies, in which LGBT is used as a battering ram, is the family and the sanctity of the family institution,' Erdogan said in January. Rights groups have condemned Turkey's stance. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have warned that government rhetoric and actions are fuelling a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ people, contributing to rising discrimination and violence. Despite the bans, small groups of activists continue to mark Pride Week each year. Organizers say the increasingly aggressive police response reflects broader crackdowns on dissent and freedom of assembly in Turkey. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Indian Express
31 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Zelenskyy says ‘ready to buy' US air defence systems as Russia launches ‘biggest' airstrikes on Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the United States and its allies to send more air defence systems after a Ukrainian F-16 pilot was killed during a wave of Russian missile and drone attacks. 'This war must be brought to an end pressure on the aggressor is needed, and so is protection,' Zelenskyy said in a post on X. 'Ukraine needs to strengthen its air defence the thing that best protects lives. These are American systems, which we are ready to buy.' He added, 'We count on leadership, political will, and the support of the United States, Europe, and all our partners.' Almost all night long, air raid alerts sounded across Ukraine — 477 drones were in our skies, most of them Russian-Iranian Shaheds, along with 60 missiles of various types. The Russians were targeting everything that sustains life. A residential building in Smila was also hit,… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 29, 2025 Zelenskyy said he had raised Ukraine's request for more Patriot missile batteries with President Donald Trump during a NATO summit earlier this month. The US has not announced any new military aid since Trump returned to office. The Ukrainian President's renewed call came after an overnight Russian barrage that involved 477 drones and 60 missiles. Ukraine's Air Force said 211 drones and 38 missiles were shot down. At least 12 people were injured, including two children in the Cherkasy region. Damage was reported in Kyiv, Lviv, Poltava, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy and Ivano-Frankivsk. One of the casualties was F-16 pilot Maksym Ustymenko. According to Ukraine's Air Force, he destroyed seven airborne targets before his jet was hit. 'The pilot used all of his onboard weapons and shot down seven air targets. While shooting down the last one, his aircraft was damaged and began to lose altitude,' the Air Force said in a statement quoted by Reuters. Zelenskyy confirmed the pilot's death in a separate message posted with video footage showing damage to civilian areas. 'Tragically, while repelling the attack, our F-16 pilot, Maksym Ustymenko, died. Today, he destroyed 7 aerial targets. My condolences to his family and brothers-in-arms,' he wrote. Russia has increased the frequency of large-scale airstrikes in recent weeks. Ukrainian officials said Moscow launched more than 1,270 drones, 114 missiles and 1,100 glide bombs over the past week alone. Russia's state-run RIA news agency said a Ukrainian drone killed one person in the Russian-held part of Luhansk. Both sides deny targeting civilians.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
33 minutes ago
- First Post
Zelenskyy set to pull Ukraine out of Ottawa Convention treaty: What is it?
More than 160 countries are parties to the treaty, including most Nato members and European states. Major powers like the United States, Russia, and China have not signed it read more President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday (June 29) signed a decree initiating Ukraine's withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention or the Mine Ban Treaty, citing the urgent demands of national defense amid Russia's ongoing invasion. Ukraine's foreign ministry said the decision was 'difficult but necessary,' describing it as a response to Russia's extensive use of landmines against both military personnel and civilians. 'I hereby decree… to put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine dated June 29, 2025 on Ukraine's withdrawal' from the landmark convention, Zelenskyy said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Russia… uses mines against our military and civilians on a massive scale. We cannot remain bound by conditions when the enemy has no restrictions,' a Ukrainian lawmaker, Roman Kostenko, said on social media. What is the Ottawa Convention? The Ottawa Convention, formally known as the Mine Ban Treaty, is an international agreement that prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines. Signed in 1997, it aims to eliminate weapons that often remain lethal long after conflicts end. Mines banned under the treaty are designed to explode when triggered by the presence, proximity, or contact of a person, causing indiscriminate harm. More than 160 countries are parties to the treaty, including most Nato members and European states. Major powers like the United States, Russia, and China have not signed it. Human rights organisations have condemned plans by Ukraine and several of its allies to exit the treaty. Critics warn that such withdrawals could weaken a decades-long global consensus to limit weapons that disproportionately harm civilians. Kyiv's decision comes after similar moves or considerations by Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia — all of which share borders with Russia and cite heightened security threats as justification. Ukrainian lawmaker Roman Kostenko defended the move, saying, 'We cannot remain bound by conditions when the enemy has no restrictions.' With inputs from agencies
