An Ukrainian F-16 pilot died on the night from Saturday to Sunday while defending against Russian drones and rockets. Two people on the ground also died during what was once again the largest air raid since the start of the war.
The fighter plane sustained damage during the defense and crashed. The pilot tried to prevent the plane from crashing in a populated area. As a result, he did not have enough time to leave the crashing plane with his ejection seat, the Ukrainian Air Force reports on Telegram.
The Ukrainian Air Force praises the pilot for his efforts. He reportedly shot down seven missiles and drones last night before he got into trouble.
This is the third F-16 fighter plane that has been lost, according to the Ukrainian army. The aircraft were previously supplied by various Western allies, including the Netherlands. It is not known which country supplied the crashed aircraft.
Russia fired 537 missiles and drones at various locations in Ukraine last night. This makes it the largest Russian air attack to date.
Two people on the ground also died in the large-scale attack. One person died in the Kherson region, the other in the Kharkiv region, when a car was hit by a drone. Six people were injured in the city of Cherkasy.
The scale of the Russian attacks has been increasing in recent weeks. Russia is constantly attacking with slightly more drones and rockets.