Ukrainian Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustymenko, a 31-year-old F-16 pilot, was killed during a large-scale Russian air attack on June 29th. Ustymenko destroyed seven enemy targets before his aircraft sustained critical damage. The attack involved over 500 air targets, including missiles and drones, launched from various Russian locations. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted many, but significant damage occurred across multiple regions. Ustymenko is the third Ukrainian F-16 pilot killed since the jets' introduction.

Prepared by Rachel Morgan and reviewed by editorial team.