Photo: LIBKOS / A photo of pilot Pavel Ivanov was posted by photographer Konstantin Liberov. He wrote that Ivanov “cried with happiness” when he found out that he would be flying an F-16
An F-16 fighter jet piloted by 26-year-old Ukrainian pilot Pavlo Ivanov was allegedly shot down by a Russian missile during a combat mission on 12 April. This was reported by BBC Ukraine, citing a government source.
According to the source, Russian troops fired three missiles at the plane. It could have been a guided anti-aircraft missile from the S-400 ground-based system or an R-37 air-to-air missile.
The source emphasises that the version of “friendly fire” in this situation has been rejected – the Ukrainian pilot’s own air defence forces were not operating in the area of the mission.
The circumstances of the tragedy are currently under investigation.
On Saturday 12 April, it was reported that Pavel Ivanov, an F-16 fighter pilot who was flying a combat mission in the face of active Russian air defence, was killed.
