A Ukrainian fighter pilot lost his life when his F-16 jet crashed during a mission to stop a large-scale Russian air assault, Ukrainian officials said on Sunday. The attack, one of the biggest in recent times, included hundreds of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. This shows that Russia continues its intense night-time bombings even as the war enters its fourth year.

Zelenskyy Honours Fallen Pilot

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posthumously awarded the highest national honour, Hero of Ukraine, to the pilot, Maksym Ustymenko. He praised Ustymenko’s courage and called on Western countries—especially the United States—to provide more support for Ukraine’s air defence systems.

The attack caused major damage to homes and public infrastructure across the country. At least 12 people were injured, according to Ukrainian officials.

Cities Under Attack

In Kyiv, families rushed to metro stations for safety when sirens began to wail. People reported hearing loud explosions and gunfire in the capital. Lviv, a western city near the Polish border and usually safer, also came under attack. The governor of the Lviv region confirmed that key infrastructure was hit in the strike.

F-16 Losses Mount

Ukraine has now lost three F-16 fighter jets since these US-made aircraft were introduced into its air force last year. Though Ukraine has not revealed how many F-16s it currently has, these jets play a crucial role in defending the country’s airspace.

Ustymenko reportedly flew his damaged jet away from a populated area before crashing. The Ukrainian Air Force stated that he had no time to eject safely.

“The pilot used all of his onboard weapons and shot down seven air targets. While shooting down the last one, his aircraft was damaged and began to lose altitude,” the Air Force wrote on Telegram.

F-16 Faces Challenges Against Drones

Military analyst Roman Svitan recently said that the F-16 is not ideal for all types of combat in Ukraine. While effective against high-speed targets, the jet is not well suited for defending against swarms of slow-moving drones, which Russia often uses in large numbers.

Ustymenko’s Long Service

In his nightly video message, Zelenskyy shared that Ustymenko had been serving since 2014, during the early battles against Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

“He mastered four types of aircraft and had important results to his name in defending Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said. “It is painful to lose such people.”

Scale of Russia’s Assault

According to Ukraine’s military, Russia launched 477 drones and 60 missiles of various kinds overnight. Ukrainian defences successfully shot down 211 drones and 38 missiles. Another 225 drones either failed due to electronic warfare or were found to be fake decoys with no explosives.