Kyiv [Ukraine], May 17 (HBTV): Ukraine's Air Force lost an F-16 fighter jet on Friday morning due to an unspecified incident during a mission, though the pilot ejected safely, according to a statement cited by Reuters.

In a message shared on Telegram, Ukraine’s Air Force stated: ‘According to preliminary data... an unusual situation arose on board. The pilot moved the aircraft away from the settlement and successfully ejected.’ The pilot was reported to be in good health, and initial findings suggest the incident was not caused by Russian fire. A commission has been formed to investigate the circumstances of the crash.

Ukrainian news outlet The Kyiv Independent reported that the F-16 lost contact during an operation to repel a Russian aerial assault overnight on May 16. The pilot diverted the aircraft away from populated areas before ejecting. Search and rescue teams later recovered him.

According to preliminary reports, the pilot had destroyed three Russian aerial targets and was engaging a fourth with an aircraft cannon before the emergency occurred. Contact with the aircraft was lost at approximately 3:30 am (local time), prompting the ejection.

Further details about the aircraft's final crash site have not been disclosed by Ukrainian authorities.

This marks the latest in a series of F-16 incidents for Ukraine. In August 2024, the Air Force lost its first F-16 in a crash that killed pilot Oleksii Mes. Another F-16 pilot, Pavlo Ivanov, was killed during a combat mission in April 2025.

Ukraine began deploying US-made F-16 jets, received from the Netherlands and Denmark in 2024, to counter ongoing Russian missile and drone attacks.

(ANI)