Ukraine F-16 pilot killed while repelling large-scale Russian air attack on Ukraine, Ukrainian authorities say
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F-16 Pilot Killed As Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine
Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustimenko intercepted seven air targets from his F-16 before his aircraft was damaged and started to lose altitude. Russia had launched 477 drones and four Kinzhal missiles at Ukraine overnight, as well as seven short-range ballistic missiles, 41 Kh-101 cruise missiles, five Kalibr cruise missiles and three anti-aircraft guided missiles. U.S. President Donald Trump indicated earlier this week he would be willing to transfer Patriot air defense missiles, capable of shooting down Russia’s most advanced weapons, to Ukraine. At least two other Ukrainian pilots have died operating F- 16s since last summer, including 26-year-old Pavlo Ivanov, who died “while performing a combat mission” on April 12.
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A Ukrainian F-16 pilot was killed intercepting Russian aerial attacks on Ukraine overnight, Kyiv’s air force said, in what a Ukrainian official described as Moscow’s largest-scale air attacks on the country since the start of the war.
Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustimenko intercepted seven air targets from his F-16 before his aircraft was damaged and started to lose altitude, Ukraine’s air force said in a statement on Sunday.
Ukrainian authorities said Russia had launched 477 drones and four Kinzhal missiles at Ukraine overnight, as well as seven short-range ballistic missiles, 41 Kh-101 cruise missiles, five Kalibr cruise missiles and three anti-aircraft guided missiles.
The strikes into Sunday were “the most massive airstrike” on Ukraine of more than three years of full-scale war in the country, Yuriy Ignat, an official with Ukraine’s air force, told the Associated Press.
A screenshot from a video shared on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s X account on Sunday showing the aftermath of a strike on the Cherkasy region. A screenshot from a video shared on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s X account on Sunday showing the aftermath of a strike on the Cherkasy region. X/@ZelenskyyUa
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022. President Donald Trump pledged to end Europe’s largest land conflict since World War II in just 24 hours when he was re-elected, but has so far failed to make a deal.
Ukraine agreed to a U.S. proposal in March, but Russia has not inked its consent. Moscow has in recent weeks hammered Ukraine with often deadly aerial strikes, drawing condemnation from U.S. President Donald Trump. The Republican has typically skirted overtly criticizing the Kremlin leader throughout ceasefire talks.
Ukraine leans heavily on the U.S. and the rest of Kyiv’s allies for vital supplies of air defense missiles in the face of intensified waves of Russian strikes. Trump indicated earlier this week he would be willing to transfer Patriot air defense missiles, capable of shooting down Russia’s most advanced weapons, to Ukraine. Kyiv has long pleaded for more air defense supplies.
Ukraine has also used its small pool of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to intercept Russian attacks on the country.
At least two other Ukrainian pilots have died operating F-16s since last summer, including 26-year-old Pavlo Ivanov, who died “while performing a combat mission” in an F-16 on April 12, the air force said earlier this year. Another pilot, named by Ukraine as Oleksiy Mes, died while “repelling a massive Russian combined air and missile attack” in an F-16 in late August 2024.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said he had ordered a full investigation into Ustimenko’s death. “I am grateful to everyone who is defending Ukraine,” Zelensky said in a post on social media.
“Moscow will not stop as long as it has the capability to launch massive strikes,” the Ukrainian leader said.
Update, 06/29/2025, 05:01 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information
At least six wounded in large-scale Russian air attack on Ukraine, Ukrainian authorities say
Russia launched 477 drones and 60 missiles to Ukraine overnight, military says. Ukrainian forces destroyed 211 drones and 38 missiles. Ukrainian Air Force says pilot of F-16 jet shot down seven air targets. At least six people, including one child, injured in the central Cherkasy region, officials say. The sounds of explosions were heard in Lviv, Poltava, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
The sounds of explosions were heard in Lviv, Poltava, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Cherkasy regions, regional governors said.
The Ukrainian military said some 500 different types of aerial weapons were used during the attack, including drones, ballistic and cruise missiles.
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“To repel the massive attack, all available means of the defence forces that can operate on enemy air assets were deployed,” the military said.
The pilot of the Ukrainian F-16 jet did everything he could and flew the jet away from a settlement but did not have time to eject, the Ukrainian Air Force said.
“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 on the Telegram messenger.
The military said Russia had launched 477 drones and 60 missiles of various types to Ukraine overnight while Ukrainian forces destroyed 211 drones and 38 missiles.
It said 225 drones were lost – in reference to the Ukrainian military using electronic warfare to redirect them – or they were drone simulators that did not carry warheads.
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It said air strikes were recorded in six locations.
Six people, including one child, were injured in the central Cherkasy region, the governor Ihor Taburets said on the Telegram messenger. Three multi-storey buildings and a college were damaged in the attack, he said.
Industrial facilities were hit in the southern Ukrainian Mykolaiv and central Dnipropetrovsk regions, officials say.
Local authorities published photos of multi-storey houses with charred walls and broken windows and rescuers evacuating residents.
The governor of the Lviv region in the west of the country said the attack targeted critical infrastructure. However, he did not report on the aftermath.
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Published on June 29, 2025
Ukraine F-16 pilot killed while repelling large-scale Russian air attack on Ukraine, Ukrainian authorities say
Ukraine lost its third F-16 fighter jet since the start of the war while repelling the attack, the military said. The Ukrainian military said Russia had launched 477 drones and 60 missiles of various types to Ukraine overnight while Ukrainian forces destroyed 211 drones and 38 missiles. Russia has launched similar large scale attacks on Ukrainian cities every few days in recent weeks, causing widespread damage and killing dozens of civilians. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for more support from the West to bolster Ukraine’s air defences after the attack. He said Ukraine was ready to buy the American air defence systems and it counts on “leadership, political will, and the support of the United States, Europe, and all our partners” The attack targeted infrastructure in the southern Ukrainian Mykolaiv and central Dnipropetrovsk regions, officials say. Local authorities published photos of multi-storey houses with charred walls and broken windows and rescuers evacuated residents.
Item 1 of 6 Explosion lights up the sky over the city during a Russian drone, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 29, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
KYIV, June 29 (Reuters) – A Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilot was killed while repelling a Russian attack that involved hundreds of drones, cruise and ballistic missiles, authorities said on Sunday, as Moscow intensifies night time air barrages in the fourth year of war.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for more support from the West to bolster Ukraine’s air defences after the attack, which damaged homes and infrastructure and injured at least seven people, according to local authorities.
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Ukraine lost its third F-16 fighter jet since the start of the war while repelling the attack, the military said.
Kyiv has not revealed how many of the jets it operates, but they have become a central and heavily used part of Ukraine’s air defences.
“Moscow will not stop as long as it has the capability to launch massive strikes. Just this week alone, there have been more than 114 missiles, over 1,270 drones, and nearly 1,100 glide bombs,” Zelenskiy said on X platform.
The Ukrainian military said Russia had launched 477 drones and 60 missiles of various types to Ukraine overnight while Ukrainian forces destroyed 211 drones and 38 missiles.
“To repel the massive attack, all available means of the defence forces that can operate on enemy air assets were deployed,” the military said.
Russia has launched similar large scale attacks on Ukrainian cities every few days in recent weeks, causing widespread damage and killing dozens of civilians.
After the latest overnight attacks, sounds of explosions were heard in Lviv, Poltava, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, regional governors said.
The Ukrainian military said air strikes were recorded in six locations.
Six people, including one child, were injured in the central Cherkasy region, the governor Ihor Taburets said on the Telegram messenger. Three multi-storey buildings and a college were damaged in the attack, he said.
One woman was injured in western Ivano-Frankivsk region.
Industrial facilities were hit in the southern Ukrainian Mykolaiv and central Dnipropetrovsk regions, officials say.
Local authorities published photos of multi-storey houses with charred walls and broken windows and rescuers evacuating residents.
POLITICAL WILL
Ukraine says recent attacks highlight its need for further support from Washington for air defences. Zelenskiy asked U.S. President Donald Trump to sell Ukraine more Patriot missile batteries when they met in The Hague on Wednesday.
“This war must be brought to an end – pressure on the aggressor is needed, and so is protection. Protection from ballistic and other missiles, from drones, and from terror. Ukraine needs to strengthen its air defense – the thing that best protects lives,” Zelenskiy added in his X post on Sunday after the attack.
He said Ukraine was ready to buy the American air defence systems and it counts on “leadership, political will, and the support of the United States, Europe, and all our partners.”
The pilot of the Ukrainian F-16 jet did everything he could and flew the jet away from a settlement but did not have time to eject, the Ukrainian Air Force said.
“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 on the Telegram messenger.
The Ukrainian military said 225 drones were lost in the overnight attacks – in reference to the Ukrainian military using electronic warfare to redirect them – or they were drone simulators that did not carry warheads.
The governor of the Lviv region in the west of the country said the attack targeted critical infrastructure. However, he did not report on the aftermath.
Reporting by Pavel Polityuk and Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by Susan Fenton
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Russia hits Ukraine with biggest attack of the war; F-16 pilot is killed
Neighboring Poland scrambled jets and activated its ground-based air defense units. Ukraine used its full arsenal to repel the attack, including combat aircraft. F-16 fighter jets provided by Western allies have become a key tool for defending against Russia’s missile attacks.
Ukraine used its full arsenal to repel the attack, including combat aircraft, officials said. F-16 fighter jets provided by Western allies have become a key tool for defending against Russia’s missile attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said one F-16 pilot was killed. “Tragically, while repelling the attack, our F-16 pilot, Maksym Ustymenko, died. Today, he destroyed seven aerial targets,” Zelenskyy said in a statement on Sunday.
“Ustymenko did everything possible, but his jet was damaged and started losing altitude, the air force added. “He died like a hero!”
Since the start of its summer offensive, Moscow has increased its attacks on Ukraine’s cities. “Just this week alone, there have been more than 114 missiles, over 1,270 drones, and nearly 1,100 glide bombs,” Zelenskyy said. “Putin long ago decided he would keep waging war, despite the world’s calls for peace.”
The Ukrainian president renewed his calls for allies to help protect Ukraine and to pressure Moscow to end the war.
Over 530 air assets launched overnight: Russia wages biggest aerial strikes on Ukraine yet
Russia launches biggest aerial attack on Ukraine with 537 weapons fired. Of these, 249 were shot down and 226 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. One pilot was killed when his F-16 fighter jet was shot down. The attack comes as peace talks between Russia and the West fail to reach an agreement on the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The Russian President said on Friday that Moscow is ready for a fresh round of peace talks in Istanbul. The talks are expected to take place in the next few days and could lead to the release of hostages.
Apart from the drones, the air force listed four Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missiles, seven Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, one of which was shot down; 41 Kh-101/Iskander-K cruise missiles of which 33 were shot down and one disappeared from radar; five Kalibr cruise missiles (four shot down) and three S-300 anti-aircraft missiles.
Yuriy Ihnat, head of communications for Ukraine’s air force, told the Associated Press that the overnight onslaught was “the most massive air strike” on the country, taking into account both drones and various types of missiles. The attack targeted regions across Ukraine, including western Ukraine, far from the frontline.
In a statement on social media, the Ukrainian air force had earlier announced that an F-16 fighter jet has been lost, the third one so far in this war:
“Sadly, we have suffered another painful loss. Last night, while repelling a large-scale enemy air attack, First Class pilot Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustymenko, 32, was killed while flying an F-16 aircraft. The pilot used the full range of onboard weapons and shot down seven aerial targets.
While engaging the final target, his aircraft was damaged and began to lose altitude. Maksym Ustymenko did everything he could to steer the aircraft away from a populated area but did not manage to eject in time.”
EU warplanes scrambled to protect airspace
Poland and allied countries scrambled aircraft to ensure the safety of Polish airspace, the Polish air force said on Sunday.
As for the casualties, Kherson regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said one person died in a drone strike. Six people were wounded in Cherkasy, including a child, according to regional Governor Ihor Taburets.
The fresh attacks follow a statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday that Moscow is ready for a fresh round of direct peace talks in Istanbul. However, US-led international peace efforts have so far produced no breakthrough. Two recent round of talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul were brief and led to further exchanges of prisoners of war but yielded no progress on reaching a settlement.