Ukrainian F-16 destroyed in crash just weeks after arrival

A Ukrainian Air Force F-16 fighter jet was destroyed in a crash on Monday, just weeks after the country received the U.S.-made aircraft. The Wall Street Journal reported.

According to the news publication, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the arrival of the first of 80 F-16s in the country earlier this month. While the Ukrainian Air Force did not specify the number of planes received, a US official confirmed that a total of six planes had arrived with six Ukrainian pilots trained to operate them.

The cause of Monday's crash remains unclear due to conflicting reports. WSJ suspected that the crash was likely due to pilot error, as initial reports suggested that the plane was not brought down by enemy fire. However, a Ukrainian military source said CNN that the Ukrainian armed forces do not believe that pilot error was the cause.

CNN further reported that pilot Oleksiy Mes, known as “Moonfish,” died in the crash while repelling what was reported to be Russia's largest airstrike on Ukraine. Moonfish was one of the few pilots trained to fly the F-16. According to the source, Ukrainian pilots began their training in the U.S. last fall, and while the standard training period is one year, Moonfish and the others completed it in just six months.