By V.E.K.Madhushani, Jadetimes News
First F 16 Loss Since NATO Delivery
A Ukrainian military source has reported the loss of one of the recently delivered F-16 fighter jets during a Russian missile barrage. The aircraft went down on Monday, resulting in the death of pilot Oleksiy Mes. This incident marks the first F-16 loss since the planes were supplied by NATO allies earlier this month.
While the Ukrainian military stated that the crash was not caused directly by an enemy missile strike, they confirmed that the pilot successfully intercepted three cruise missiles and one drone during Russia's largest aerial attack to date. The Ukrainian Air Force praised Oleksiy Mes for his heroism, noting that he saved many lives at the cost of his own.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently confirmed that US-made F-16s are now in use to counter Russian drones and missiles. This week, he called on allies to allow Ukraine to deploy long range missiles to strike deeper into Russian territory.
The Netherlands has pledged 24 F-16 jets, adding to a total of around 65 F-16s committed by NATO countries since the US authorized European allies to supply them in August 2023. Dutch Chief of Defence Gen Onno Eichelsheim stated there would be no restrictions on their usage, apart from compliance with humanitarian law, enabling Kyiv to potentially conduct deeper strikes into Russian territory.
Ukraine's F-16s are deployed alongside limited Western supplied surface to air missile systems such as Patriot and Nasams, bolstering defenses against Russian glide bombs and other threats. The loss of the F-16 represents a setback for President Zelensky, who is set to present a "victory plan" to US President Joe Biden next month. Additionally, Zelensky disclosed that Ukraine had recently conducted a successful test of a domestically produced ballistic missile but withheld further details.
