Kyiv (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Ukraine lost an F-16 fighter jet and its pilot during a large-scale Russian nighttime missile and drone attack, the Ukrainian military reported on Sunday. This marked the third F-16 lost in the war, according to the military, Reuters reported.
According to Ukraine’s air force, it has lost an F-16 aircraft and its pilot while repulsing a Russian missile and drone strike. Following an overnight battle that saw the plane shoot down seven air targets, it sustained damage and lost altitude, according to a statement from the Ukrainian military published on Telegram on Sunday.
“This night, while repelling a massive enemy air attack, a pilot of the 1st class, Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustimenko, born in 1993, died on an F-16 aircraft,”
it stated.
What damage did the Russian missile strike cause?
Moreover, according to a separate statement, the air force reported that Russia fired 537 projectiles at Ukraine, including Shahed drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. Ukraine said it successfully thwarted 475 of these projectiles.
As reported by Ukrainian media, Multiple areas across the country reported the sounds of explosions and strikes, including southern Mykolaiv, southeastern Zaporizhia, and western Lviv.
According to Ihor Taburets, the governor of Ukraine’s Cherkasy region, at least six people were injured and civilian infrastructure was damaged in the attacks. The governor reported that three multistory buildings and a college were damaged in the incident.
Industrial buildings in the southern Ukrainian areas of Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk have been hit, according to officials. Local authorities have shared photos of high-rise residential buildings with scorched walls and shattered windows, as well as images of rescuers evacuating people.
When did Ukraine previously lose an F-16 fighter?
Ukraine has received a limited number of F-16s from NATO allies, and each loss is consequential given the small size of the fleet and the strategic nature of these aircraft. The F-16s are used primarily for air defended patrols, intercepting Russian missiles, drones, and aircraft.
The previous F-16 loss took place in April 2025, with Russia claiming responsibility via its air defense systems. According to Russian sources, their air defense systems shot down a Ukrainian F-16 during that month, and they publicized this as a significant achievement, even awarding a monetary bounty to the troops involved.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed responsibility for the downing, suggesting it was accomplished by advanced systems such as the S-300, S-400, or Buk-M3.
