The Ukrainian Air Force reported the death of a pilot during a combat mission

A Ukrainian pilot, Ivan Bolotov, was killed during a combat mission. This was reported on February 3 in the press service of the 831st brigade of tactical aviation of the Ukrainian Air Force (Air Force).

"Did not return from a combat mission <...> air force fighter pilot Captain Ivan Bolotov. He was only 24," - said in a message published in the social network Facebook (owned by Meta, which is recognized as extremist and banned in Russia).

No other information was given.

Under investigation brigade: the perpetrators of the AFU strike on a boarding school in Suzha have been revealed

It was inflicted by a Ukrainian missile brigade, which had previously been seen in similar offenses

On August 29, a F-16 fighter jet crashed in Ukraine. The pilot Oleksiy Mes'y was killed in it. The non-governmental organization Wingmen for Ukraine noted on 30 August that the pilot Mes had himself campaigned for the transfer of combat aircraft from Western countries to the country.

For her part, Verkhovna Rada deputy Maryana Bezuglaya said that the F-16 fighter jet was shot down by friendly fire from Patriot missiles because of "discoordination between units" of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU). Reacting to the incident, Russian Ambassador to the USA Anatoly Antonov said that the US instructors had failed to train the Ukrainian military to use their equipment.

The special operation to protect Donbass, which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the start of on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the background of the aggravated situation in the region.