Ukraine’s Air Force said in a statement on Saturday that three pilots were killed after two L-39 training planes collided in the air in the center of the country.
The accident occurred on Friday over the Zhitomir region, west of the capital, Kiev.
The Air Force wrote on the Telegram application: “We offer our condolences to the families of the victims, this is a painful and irreparable loss for all of us,” adding that an investigation is underway into the circumstances of the accident.
The incident came as Ukraine is making strenuous efforts to quickly begin training its aircrew in the use of the F-16 fighter jets.
And the US Department of Defense announced Thursday that the United States will begin training Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16 fighters next September, which three countries, Norway, the Netherlands and Denmark, have promised to provide Kiev with a number of them.
These Ukrainian pilots are being trained by a consortium of 11 countries.
Officials have expressed hope that the Ukrainian pilots will be ready by early 2024.
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2023-08-26 15:24:18
