Kyiv: Ukraine yesterday said three of its air force pilots, including a fighter jet pilot known as 'Juice', were killed in an air crash last Friday.
The crash marked a major disappointment for Kyiv, which has been looking for ways to get advanced F-16 jets to bolster its Soviet-era air force and continue its counterattack.
"We express our condolences to the families of the victims. This is a painful and irreparable loss for all of us," the Ukrainian air force said, describing the crash as horrific.
The crash occurred in the Zhytomyr region in northern Ukraine and involved two L-39 combat training aircraft, he said.
An investigation is underway into the crash.
The air force spokesman, Yuriy Ignat, said that one of the killed pilots, Major Andrii Pilshchykov, nicknamed 'Juice', was a young officer with great knowledge and talent.
"Major Andrii Pilshchykov devoted his short but very bright life to the war in the air, he dreamed of (managing) the F-16 in the sky of Ukraine.
"You are more than a friend. Rest in peace, you did a lot for us," he said in a post on social media that was shared as a sign of respect.
