News Feed

24-year-old Ukrainian pilot killed in action

2 min read
24-year-old Ukrainian pilot killed in action
Ukraine's Air Force pilot, Captain Ivan Bolotov, was killed in a combat mission. (The 831st Tactical Aviation Brigade/Facebook)

Ivan Bolotov, a 24-year-old Ukrainian pilot and captain of the 831st Tactical Aviation Brigade, was killed during a combat mission, the brigade said on Feb. 3.

"He was only 24, but he was a competent and experienced warrior who mercilessly beat the (Russian forces) on all their approaches and front lines," the statement read.

Captain Bolotov has carried out Air Force flight missions since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, according to the brigade.

According to the media reports, he had a wife and a five-month-old son.

Bolotov is one of several young Ukrainian pilots to be confirmed killed in action. In August 2024, 27-year-old pilot Oleksandr Myhulia was killed "while performing a combat mission to protect Ukraine's territory."

Myhulia was an experienced pilot, having served in the Air Force since 2014.

He was the commander of an aviation unit of the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade and had made over 160 combat flights since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Another fighter pilot from the 299th Tactical Aviation Brigade was confirmed as killed in combat in December 2024.

The "young Ukrainian pilot" did not return from a combat mission on one of the hottest parts of the front lines, the Air Force announced on Dec. 14.

Video thumbnail
Avatar
Kateryna Denisova

Politics Reporter

Kateryna Denisova is the reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in Ukrainian politics. Based in Kyiv, she focuses on domestic affairs, parliament, social and war-related issues. Kateryna began her career in journalism in 2020 and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. She also studied at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

Read more
News Feed

During a meeting with Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal on July 12, President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed the need to take additional "more decisive" steps to protect Ukraine's energy infrastructure and emphasized the importance of robust winter preparedness plans for communities and regions.

 (Updated:  )

Yulia Svyrydenko, who replaced former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in July 2025, will now take on a new role leading cooperation with Ukraine’s key partners, Zelensky announced on social media.

Video

Once promoted by the Kremlin as a symbol of Russia’s resurgence and a premier tourist destination, the peninsula now faces mounting pressure from Ukrainian drone strikes targeting military infrastructure, logistics, and supply routes.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 11 that he is preparing changes to Ukraine’s “diplomatic efforts” to accelerate weapons deliveries from allies, as Ukraine's stockpile of Patriot air defense missiles has run dry.

Show More