Ukrainian pilot Captain Marat Redvanovych Mambetov who was killed in action on Oct. 1, 2026 (Ukraine's Air Force)
A Ukrainian pilot has died after his MiG-29 fighter jet was shot down by a Russian missile whilst performing a combat mission in eastern Ukraine, the country's Air Force said on Oct. 1.
The pilot, Captain Marat Redvanovych Mambetov, ejected but did not survive, the Air Force said in a statement on social media.
Mambetov, who was 25 years old, served as a flight commander in the "Ghost of Kyiv" 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade.
The brigade, based at Vasylkiv Air Base in Kyiv Oblast, flies part of Ukraine's ageing fleet of Soviet-era Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets.
"We express our sincere condolences to Marat’s family and friends, he defended Ukraine until his last breath," the Air Force said.
Rushton is a British journalist and security and foreign policy analyst based in Kyiv. He has covered Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine since February 2022, writing about every aspect of the conflict. His work has appeared in Yahoo News, New Lines Magazine, and The Telegraph, amongst others.
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