A Ukrainian F-16 pilot was killed overnight while defending against one of the largest Russian air attacks to date, officials reported on Sunday. Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustymenko, 31, died when his fighter jet was damaged while attempting to intercept Russian missiles and drones, according to Ukraine’s Air Force.
During the defense operation, Ustymenko, an accomplished first-class pilot, successfully destroyed seven enemy air targets before his aircraft sustained critical damage. He managed to maneuver his jet away from populated areas but was unable to eject in time. “He died like a hero,” the Air Force stated, extending condolences to his family.
The attack on June 29 was unprecedented, involving a targeted strike that encompassed 537 air threats—including cruise, ballistic, and hypersonic missiles, as well as Shahed-type drones. Reports from Ukraine’s Air Force and monitoring groups highlighted the scale of the assault.
The offensive featured:
– 477 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys launched from Russian territory and occupied Crimea;
– 4 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles from Russia’s Tambov region;
– 7 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles from the Voronezh region and Crimea;
– 41 Kh-101 and Iskander-K cruise missiles from the Saratov, Kursk, and Bryansk regions;
– 5 Kalibr cruise missiles fired from the Black Sea;
– 3 S-300 guided missiles from Russia’s Kursk region.
Ukrainian air defenses—including fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare systems, and mobile fire groups—were activated nationwide. By 8:30 a.m., Ukrainian forces reported the destruction or neutralization of 475 enemy targets, including:
– 211 Shahed drones shot down, with an additional 225 drones countered via electronic warfare;
– 1 Iskander ballistic missile intercepted;
– 33 Kh-101/Iskander-K cruise missiles downed, with one neutralized by electronic systems;
– 4 Kalibr cruise missiles shot down.
Debris from the downed targets was scattered across at least eight sites, while six regions reported ongoing air assaults. The missile strike lasted nearly three hours, while the drone attack continued for almost ten hours.
The assault targeted various regions including Kremenchuk, Poltava, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Cherkasy, Lviv, and the capital, Kyiv. Kremenchuk experienced multiple explosions, where both missiles and drones struck, resulting in a fire at an industrial facility in the Poltava region, according to officials.
In Zaporizhzhia, a production site was damaged with no casualties reported, while three individuals sustained injuries in Cherkasy from attacks on civilian infrastructure. In Lviv, critical infrastructure was targeted, but officials confirmed no civilian injuries or significant damage to residential areas. Likewise, explosions were heard in Kyiv, where air defenses were engaged, though further details were not immediately available.
Ustymenko is the third Ukrainian F-16 pilot to lose his life in combat since the introduction of the Western fighter jets into Ukraine’s arsenal last year. The first pilot fatality occurred on August 26, 2024, when Lt. Col. Oleksii “Moonfish” Mes died following a crash during interception efforts. Another pilot, Pavlo Ivanov, was killed on a combat mission in April 2025. Ukrainian pilots continue to undertake perilous missions amidst the ongoing conflict, which has entered its third year without signs of resolution.