'False story' — Denmark denies Russian claims of F-16 instructor killed in Kryvyi Rih strike
The Danish Defense Ministry on Jan. 19 denied Russian claims of the death of a Danish F-16 instructor in a missile strike on Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, on Jan. 17.
"This is a false story being spread by the Russian media — probably with the aim of discrediting Denmark," Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said.
The Russian strike killed four people and injured 14 others, with damage reported to high-rise buildings, houses, vehicles, and an educational institution.
Russian state news agency TASS alleged on Jan. 18 that a Danish F-16 instructor was killed during the attack, citing unnamed sources in Russia's security services.
Denmark's Defense Ministry dismissed the report as false, emphasizing that no Danish military personnel have died in Ukraine. Poulsen condemned the disinformation, citing it as part of broader influence campaigns amid a serious security situation.
Denmark, along with the Netherlands, has provided Ukraine with U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, which have been used in air defense operations to counter Russian missile strikes on cities and infrastructure.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
