The pilot diverted the plane away from populated areas and ejected, after which he was found by a search and rescue team, The KYIV INDEPENDENT reported.
According to preliminary data, the F-16 pilot destroyed three aerial targets and was attacking a fourth one with an aircraft cannon. Following an unspecified emergency, contact was lost at around 3:30 a.m., forcing the pilot to eject.
The Air Force did not provide further details on the plane’s ultimate fate or its likely crash site.
The Ukraine Air Force had previously confirmed the downing of an F-16 fighter jet under its control.
“The pilot’s condition is satisfactory, he is safe and his life and health are not in danger,” the report added.
Ukraine received its first US-made fourth-generation F-16 jets from the Netherlands and Denmark in 2024.
MA/PR
