News Feed

Experienced Ukrainian pilot killed in action

1 min read
Experienced Ukrainian pilot killed in action
A photo of the pilot posted on Facebook on Feb. 8, 2024. (Rostyslav Lazarenko / Facebook)

Vladislav Rykov, a highly experienced Ukrainian Air Force pilot, was killed in action on Feb. 7, the 299th Tactical Aviation Brigade reported on social media.

Rykov "had 385 sorties under his belt — he was the best pilot and commander I knew," fellow Air Force pilot Rostyslav Lazarenko posted on Facebook. "My heart was ripped out yesterday."

No further details about Rykov's death were provided.

A month earlier, Vladyslav Zalistovskyi, a 23-year-old MiG-29 pilot known by the call sign "Blue Helmet," was also killed during a combat mission.

He was known through his Instagram channel named Blue Helmet, where Zalistovskyi published videos of his flights. The account has amassed over 3,000 followers.

In another incident from last August, three Ukrainian pilots, including well-known aviator Andrii Pilshchykov with the call sign "Juice," died in a mid-air collision between two training jets.

F-16s for Ukraine: When will they arrive and what can they do?
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American air superiority fighter that Kyiv has begged for since the start of the full-scale invasion and is expected to finally start receiving this year. It’s a versatile workhorse of a jet that’s fought in dozens of wars and is
Avatar
Elsa Court

Audience Development Manager

News Feed

By infiltrating Ukrainian positions in small infantry groups, Russia has accumulated around 200 troops within Pokrovsk, the General Staff reported. These personnel are engaging in "intense" small arms and drone clashes with Ukrainian troops in the city.

While Ukraine also lacks Western-supplied weapons, soldiers and commanders say shortages of basics — cars, drones and people — make holding back Russia extremely difficult. Even as Kyiv seeks U.S. approval for Tomahawks, they say critical, rudimentary gear is the more pressing need.

Russia faces an increase in the arson and “spontaneous combustion” of electrical panels, railway relay cabinets, and other infrastructure helping Moscow wage its war against Ukraine over the past week, a source at Ukraine’s military intelligence told the Kyiv Independent.

Video

The episode covers Russian war crimes in Pokrovsk and continued attacks on Ukrainian cities, including missile strikes on Kyiv and Kharkiv. While Moscow continues to reject a ceasefire with Ukraine, has President Trump finally shifted his approach to Russia?

Show More