A Ukrainian military source told the BBC that one of the F-16 fighter jets sent to Ukraine by NATO allies had been destroyed.
The plane crashed amid a barrage of Russian missiles on Monday, killing pilot Oleksiy Mes, the Ukrainian military said. It was the first loss since the aircraft was delivered earlier this month.
The Ukrainian military said the cause of the crash was not an enemy missile attack.
The report said pilots destroyed three cruise missiles and a drone in Russia’s largest air attack to date.
“Oleksiy saved the people of Ukraine from deadly Russian missiles,” the Ukrainian Air Force wrote in a statement on social media.
“Unfortunately, it cost him his life.”
The statement did not specify the type of aircraft involved, but a military source told the BBC the pilot was flying an F-16.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky officially confirmed on Tuesday that US-made F-16s are being deployed to shoot down Russian drones and missiles.
This week, he asked allies to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles to strike targets further into Russia.
The Netherlands’ Chief of Defence Staff, General Otto Eichelsheim, confirmed that the Netherlands will supply Ukraine with 24 jets, along with other weapons.
He told a conference in Washington on Wednesday that there would be no restrictions on their use other than compliance with humanitarian law – meaning Kyiv could launch strikes deeper into Russian territory.
About 65 F-16s have been committed by NATO countries since US President Joe Biden first authorized European allies to send them to Ukraine in August 2023.
Ukrainian F-16s operate alongside a number of Western-supplied surface-to-air missile systems such as Patriots and Nasams that are already on the ground.
They also help counter Russian glide bombs – unmanned munitions equipped with retractable wings and guidance modules for precision strike capabilities, similar to the US JDAM munition.
The plane’s destruction is a blow to Zelensky, who has vowed to “victory plan” for US President Joe Biden next month.
He also revealed that Ukraine recently successfully conducted the first test of a domestically produced ballistic missile, but declined to share further details.
