Ukrainian Mig-29 pilot dies during mission

Vladyslav Zalistovskyi, a 23-year-old MiG-29 pilot known by the call sign "Blue Helmet," died during a combat mission, the Defense Ministry's news channel Armiia TV reported on Jan. 8.

This comes as another loss in the ranks of Ukrainian combat aviators amid the full-scale war with Russia.

According to Suspilne, the 114th Tactical Aviation Brigade pilot of Ukraine's Air Force lost his life on the evening of Jan. 5.

The aviator's death was also confirmed by his relatives on social media.

He was known through his Instagram channel named Blue Helmet, where Zalistovskyi published videos of his flights. The account has over 2,200 followers.

Zalistovskyi graduated from the Ivan Kozhedub National Air Force University in Kharkiv in 2021 and has carried out dozens of combat sorties since the start of the full-scale war, Armiia TV said.

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.

Three pilots who died in mid-air collision identified by name

The names of all three pilots killed in a mid-air collision over Zhytomyr Oblast were released by the Vasylkiv Tactical Aviation Brigade on Aug. 27. They were Captain Andrii Pilshchykov, also known as “Juice,” Major Viacheslav Minka, and Major Serhii Prokazin.

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk