A Ukrainian Air Force pilot safely ejected from an F-16 fighter jet early Friday during a night-time combat mission, marking Ukraine’s third known loss of the U.S.-made aircraft since the start of its deployment in the war with Russia.
The incident occurred at approximately 3:30 a.m. local time on May 16, as the pilot was reportedly engaging multiple Russian air targets during a defensive operation. According to the Ukrainian Air Force Command, the pilot destroyed three aerial targets and was engaging a fourth with the aircraft’s cannon when an emergency situation developed on board.
“The pilot took the plane away from the settlement and successfully catapulted,” the Air Force said in a statement posted to its official Telegram channel. Search and rescue personnel quickly located the pilot, who is reported to be in stable condition with no life-threatening injuries.
Communication with the aircraft was lost shortly after the emergency was declared. Officials have not disclosed the nature of the malfunction, and a formal investigation is underway. “A commission has been appointed to objectively clarify all the circumstances,” the Air Force said.
This is the third documented loss of an F-16 fighter jet operated by Ukrainian forces. The first occurred on August 26, 2024, when pilot Oleksii “Moonfish” Mes was killed while intercepting a large-scale Russian missile and drone assault. At the time, Ukraine’s Western Air Command reported that Mes had downed three cruise missiles and one drone before crashing.
The second loss was reported on April 12, 2025, when 26-year-old fighter pilot Pavlo Ivanov was killed during a combat sortie.
Although Ukrainian officials did not release the exact location or cause, both Russian and Ukrainian sources speculated that the aircraft may have been struck by a surface-to-air missile.
Some reports suggested the possibility of friendly fire, though no official conclusion has been made public.
Ukraine received its first deliveries of U.S.-made F-16s from European allies in mid-2024, including transfers from the Netherlands and Denmark. The fourth-generation jets were seen as a critical upgrade to Ukraine’s Soviet-era fleet, particularly for defending against ongoing Russian missile and Shahed drone attacks.
Since entering service, the F-16s have been used in both defensive and offensive operations. In early April, U.S. Army Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, told the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee that Ukrainian F-16 pilots were flying “every day,” intercepting cruise missiles and conducting bombing runs in eastern Ukraine.
