F-16 pilot killed intercepting Russian attack

The Ukrainian Air Force reported his death.

It was reported that during the night, Ukraine’s Defense Forces used every available air defense asset capable of countering enemy aerial threats to shoot down over 500 incoming targets. The Air Force, including F-16 fighter jets, once again played a critical role—Ukrainian pilots successfully destroyed dozens of Shahed drones.

“The work of Ukrainian fighter pilots is extremely dangerous and risky—both when striking enemy ground targets and when intercepting air attacks. Yet, despite everything, our pilots heroically carry out combat missions, achieving outstanding results,” the Air Force said in a statement.

That night, while defending against a massive Russian air assault, First Class pilot Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustymenko, 32, was killed in an F-16 fighter jet.

He deployed the full range of onboard weapons and took down seven airborne targets. However, during his final engagement, his jet sustained critical damage and began to lose altitude. Ustymenko did everything he could to steer the aircraft away from a populated area but didn’t have time to eject.

It was later revealed that Ustymenko had been a classmate of another well-known Ukrainian pilot, Andrii “Juice” Pilshchykov, who died two years ago.

Juice’s mother, Liliya Averyanova, described Ustymenko as “a man of steel who always strived to be the best.” He had been her son’s classmate since their first year at the Air Force academy.

“He was the brain of the group—a brilliant IT guy. But he also had powerful wings, an immense sense of responsibility, and deep dedication to his mission. He was destined to become a Marshal of Aviation,” she wrote.

The wife of another Ukrainian pilot, Oleksii Mesia (callsign 'Moonfish'), shared that Ustymenko is survived by his 4-year-old son.

• As a reminder, Russian forces launched waves of drones over Ukraine that night. Enemy Tu-95s and MiG aircraft were in the air. Lviv, Poltava, and Zaporizhzhia regions were targeted. There were casualties reported in Kharkiv, Cherkasy, and Prykarpattia.