By Abidemi Samuel
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The first F-16 multirole fighter jet provided by the West to #Ukraine suffered a catastrophe on Monday while on a mission to repel an extensive Russian missile and drone attack. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the experienced pilot, trained by Western forces, Olexiy Mes’—known by the call sign “Moonfish”—perished after shooting down three enemy cruise missiles and a kamikaze drone.
The tragic news emerged three days after the catastrophe, suggesting that the Ukrainian military command, particularly Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk, who has recently been criticized for a series of grave mistakes, hesitated to disclose the incident to avoid upsetting Western partners who have heavily invested in the pilot’s training and the F-16 program as a whole.
The American broadcaster Voice of America hinted that the investigation might consider the possibility that the F-16 was regrettably shot down by “friendly fire.” Additionally, the Ukr. MP Marianna Bezugla, a vocal critic of the Ukr. military command, claimed it was brought down by a Ukrainian Patriot battery due to internal miscoordination.