The crash occurred during a massive Russian attack, which Ukraine's F-16s helped to defend against. It marks Kyiv's first loss of the US-made aircraft.
Oleksiy saved Ukrainians from deadly Russian missiles, unfortunately, at the cost of his own life. The loss of communication during combat highlights the dangers faced.
The Pentagon and US European Command referred questions to the Ukrainian military, and initial reports suggested the jet wasn't downed by Russian fire.
It is still unclear what led to the crash, the cause of the 'accident' is under investigation following the loss of the aircraft.
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