Three Ukrainian Pilots Killed in Air Collision During Exercise

Three Ukrainian pilots lost their lives when two L-39 aircraft collided in the air during an exercise in central Ukraine, the Ukrainian Air Force said on Saturday.

The collision occurred on Friday in the county of Zhytomyr, which is located west of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

– We offer our condolences to the victims’ families. This is a painful and irreparable loss for all of us, writes the air force on Telegram.

The circumstances surrounding the collision are to be investigated, adds the air force.

The loss of the three pilots comes as Ukraine is embarking on a major effort to quickly train its pilots to use US-made fighter jets in the fight against the Russian invasion force.

Western allies have made promises that Ukraine will receive up to 61 US-made F-16 fighter jets around the turn of the year, provided training is completed. Norway is among the countries that have promised to contribute with both aircraft and training.

One of the three men who died was the young pilot Andriy Pilshchykov, also known as “Juice”, the air force says. He has given a number of interviews to international media.

– He devoted his short but very brilliant life to combat flying, and he dreamed of F-16 aircraft in the Ukrainian skies, says air force spokesman Jurij Ignat.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyi also offers his condolences to the families of the pilots.

– Ukraine will never forget someone who defended Ukraine’s free skies, says the president.