Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet crashes during combat mission in Odesa, pilot safe
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A Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet caught fire during a combat mission in Odesa Oblast the evening of Aug. 10, the Air Force reported.
The pilot attempted to save the aircraft, but the jet could not be salvaged, the Air Force said. The pilot managed to safely eject from the plane before the crash and was transported to a medical facility.
The jet caught fire due to a "non-standard situation" during the launch of an air-to-air missile while engaging enemy targets in Odesa Oblast, the military reported. The fire caused the pilot to lose control of the aircraft.
The cause of the incident is currently under investigation, the Air Force said.
The crash comes about two weeks after a Ukrainian F-16 crashed on July 29 after an in-flight emergency during a combat mission. In that case, the pilot was also able to eject safely from the aircraft.
The MiG-29 is a Soviet-designed twin-engine multirole fighter developed in the 1970s and introduced into service in the early 1980s. Ukraine continues to operate the aircraft in upgraded configurations for air defense and strike missions as part of its combat aviation fleet.
Ukraine lost another MiG-29 jet in late June 2026 when it crashed during a mission in Poltava Oblast overnight. The pilot ejected safely and received medical treatment.
An aviation accident shortly before that proved fatal: On the evening of June 16, a Ukrainian Su-24 bomber crashed in Khmelnytskyi Oblast the evening of June 16, killing both the pilot and navigator.
