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Home World NewsUkraine loses an F-16 fighter jet and pilot in Russian attack

Ukraine loses an F-16 fighter jet and pilot in Russian attack

by Akash Biswas
F-16 fighter jet

Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine in a war that has raged for more than three years. A Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilot was killed in a crash while trying to repel an air attack during a massive Russian offensive that used hundreds of drones and cruise and ballistic missiles, authorities said Sunday, June 29.

What happened?

According to Reuters, the Ukrainian Air Force said in a telegram that the F-16 pilot used all his weapons to shoot down seven targets in the air. While shooting down the last target in the air, his fighter jet was damaged and then began to lose altitude.

The Ukrainian Air Force said the pilot of the damaged F-16 fighter jet flew the plane away from a settlement but did not have time to eject before it crashed.

Reuters reported that Ukraine has lost three F-16s since it began operating the US-made jets last year. However, Kyiv has not yet disclosed how many of the aircraft are in its fleet.

Zelenskyy calls on the US and Western allies for help after the Russian attack

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for more help from the United States and the European Union to bolster Ukraineโ€™s air defenses, following a massive Russian drone and ballistic missile attack that damaged homes and infrastructure across the country and injured at least 12 people, according to local authorities.

Also Read: Zelenskyy seeks support from NATO allies to strengthen Ukraineโ€™s defense industry

According to the Ukrainian military, Russia fired a total of 477 drones and 60 missiles of various types into Ukraine overnight. On the other hand, Ukrainian forces destroyed 211 drones and 38 missiles launched by Russia, while another 225 drones were either lost due to electronic warfare or were fake drones, which did not contain any explosives.

Notably, Reuters reported that machine gun fire and explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital and the western city of Lviv, where such attacks are rare.

The governor of the Lviv region said the operation was aimed at critical infrastructure.

Zelenskyy said Sunday that Russia has fired about 114 missiles, 1,270 drones, and 1,100 glide bombs against Ukraine in one week.

Reutersโ€™s reporting contributed to this article.

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