Source: Air Command West
On August 29, a farewell was held for the Ukrainian pilot who died saving Ukrainian cities from Russian shelling. Oleksiy Mes was trained on F-16 fighters.
Oleksiy Mes, an Air Force pilot of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, died while defending our country. He heroically fought his last battle in heaven.
On August 26, Oleksiy destroyed three cruise missiles and one attack UAV while repelling a massive Russian combined air and missile attack.
Oleksiy saved Ukrainians from deadly Russian missiles. Unfortunately, at the cost of his own life. He was a strong and loyal soldier, a high-class pilot, a leader on earth and in the sky, a good friend, a loving son, a father, a husband, a patriot of his country, the message emphasized.
His fellow pilots, commanders and subordinates, friends and colleagues, hundreds of ordinary Ukrainians came to say goodbye to the defender.
A pair of MiG-29 fighters paid tribute to the fallen pilot from the sky. The flight over the procession was performed by Alexey’s comrades-in-arms. By order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, lieutenant colonel Oleksiy Mesy was posthumously awarded the military rank of colonel.
We have lost a reliable friend and a strong warrior. But they did NOT lose strength, will and desire to fight, fight and win. In our just cause, we will take revenge on the enemy for everything and everyone, the message added.
Formerly the press office of the 144th Fighter Wing of the US Air National Guard reportedthat Mes was trained on the F-16 in the States. In particular, in 2019, in the role of an observer, he took part in the refueling of the F-15D Eagle fighter in the air.
Today in the WSJ assumedthat the disaster occurred during a massive missile attack on the territory of Ukraine. It was noted that our country probably lost one of the recently transferred American F-16 fighters. Initial reports indicated that the plane was not shot down by enemy fire, although the incident occurred during a massive Russian missile attack on the country.
Kyiv recently received six jets to bolster its fight against Russia, a key symbol of US support.
On August 4, on the Day of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially confirmed the fact of the arrival of F-16 fighter jets in Ukraine. In total, Ukraine expects 79 F-16 fighters from Belgium, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands.
And later on Forbes confirmed that the Ukrainian F-16s already have their first aerial victories: the fighters shot down Russian missiles during the last massive Russian attack. Zelenskyi also stated that the Ukrainian military shot down some Russian missiles with the help of F-16 fighter jets during a massive strike on August 26.
At the same time, Western aviation experts warn that military aircraft cannot become a “winning silver bullet” for Ukrainians. In particular, the Washington Post writes that only six Ukrainian pilots were qualified to fly the F-16.
And this means: only a limited number of sorties will be possible every day… and as far as possible from the front line, due to the threat of Russian surface-to-air missile systems.
Read also: Probably the most dangerous battlefield awaits the F-16 in Ukraine — Business Insider
We wrote that the long-awaited delivery of F-16 fighter jets is on the way to Ukraine. However, the latest American-made aircraft may find themselves on the most dangerous battlefield, facing Russian fighter jets and maneuvering away from enemy air defense systems.
In June, the Commander of the Air Force of the Netherlands, General Arnud Stollmann, said that he expects that at some point this summer, F-16 fighters will finally take to the skies over Ukraine.
It should be noted that on July 7, the newly appointed Minister of Defense of the Government of the Netherlands, Ruben Breckelmans, together with the head of the country’s Foreign Ministry, Kasparo Veldkamp, made their first working visit to Ukraine, during which they announced that together with their partners, they would provide Ukraine with an additional Patriot air defense complex.
