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Military operation in Ukraine

Ukraine loses another F-16 fighter jet — Air Force

According to the Air Force, the pilot was quickly found and evacuated; his condition is satisfactory

MOSCOW, May 16. /TASS/. Ukraine’s Air Force reported losing another F-16 fighter jet during a combat mission in the skies above Ukraine.

"On May 16, 2025, at around 3:30 a.m. local time [12:30 a.m. GMT], communication with an F-16 plane was lost. The Ukrainian fighter jet was carrying out a mission to repel an aerial assault when an emergency occurred on board. The pilot diverted the aircraft away from a residential area and ejected," the military wrote on their Telegram channel.

According to the Air Force, the pilot was quickly found and evacuated; his condition is satisfactory. "A commission has been appointed to investigate the circumstances of the accident and has begun work," the statement said.

This is the third F-16 that Ukraine has lost since the beginning of Russia’s special military operation. The first one was likely shot down by a Patriot anti-aircraft missile as a result of a mistake. The second one was lost in the skies over Ukraine while carrying out a mission to back up troops and repel a drone attack.

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Military operation in Ukraine

Military operation in Ukraine

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