Ukraine Investigates Incident That Killed 3 Pilots While Russia Attacks with Cruise Missiles
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian authorities have initiated an investigation into a tragic incident involving two warplanes that resulted in the death of three pilots in the western region of the country.
Ukraine Investigates Incident That Killed 3 Pilots While Russia Attacks with Cruise Missiles
Ukraine Investigates Incident That Killed 3 Pilots While Russia Attacks with Cruise Missiles
On Friday, during a combat mission over Ukraine’s western Zhytomyr region, two L-39 training military aircraft collided, leading to the unfortunate deaths of three pilots. Among the deceased was Andriy Pilshchykov, a well-known pilot nicknamed “Juice,” who had passionately advocated for Ukraine’s acquisition of F-16 fighter jets. The investigation’s duration remains uncertain, according to Yuri Ihnat, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s air force, as reported on Ukrainian television.
Ukraine Investigates Incident That Killed 3 Pilots While Russia Attacks with Cruise Missiles
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his recent address, paid tribute to the late pilot, describing Pilshchykov as a devoted “Ukrainian officer who significantly contributed to our nation.”
The identities of the other two pilots who perished in the collision have been confirmed by Ukraine’s Vasilkiv tactical aviation brigade as Viacheslav Minka and Serhiy Prokazin.
Amidst these developments, Russia unleashed a barrage of cruise missile attacks on central and northern parts of Ukraine. Ukrainian air defenses effectively intercepted four of the incoming missiles, with the remaining projectiles causing damage to approximately twelve private residences and injuring two individuals in the Kyiv region, as stated by Ukraine’s Interior Ministry.
Ukraine Investigates Incident That Killed 3 Pilots While Russia Attacks with Cruise Missiles
Ukraine Investigates Incident That Killed 3 Pilots While Russia Attacks with Cruise Missiles
Russia’s Defense Ministry countered by asserting that it successfully targeted and struck an airfield in the Kyiv region. Ukrainian officials have yet to respond to this claim.
Ukraine Investigates Incident That Killed 3 Pilots While Russia Attacks with Cruise Missiles
Ukraine Investigates Incident That Killed 3 Pilots While Russia Attacks with Cruise Missiles
In a separate incident, drones purportedly launched by the “Kyiv regime” were reported by Russia’s Defense Ministry to have been downed over the Bryansk and Kursk regions, bordering Ukraine. Kursk Governor Roman Starovoit, however, conveyed that one of the drones collided with a multistory residential building in the capital of the Kursk region. The exact circumstances leading to the incident, whether through air defense interception or a deliberate strike, remain unclear. Although no casualties were reported, the drone impact shattered several windows in the area.
Ukraine Investigates Incident That Killed 3 Pilots While Russia Attacks with Cruise Missiles
The conflict’s impact was also evident in Kyiv, where relatives of soldiers captured by Russian forces in the city of Mariupol gathered to mark the 500th day since their loved ones were taken captive. They demanded the Ukrainian authorities’ active efforts to secure their release.
For more comprehensive coverage of the ongoing war in Ukraine, refer to AP’s dedicated hub: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Dasha Litvinova contributed to this report from Tallinn, Estonia.