Death of Ukrainian F-16 pilot highlights perils of air defence, commander says

By Sergiy Karazy

KYIV (Reuters) -The death of an experienced Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilot in battle against Russian drones shows the high-risk tactics Kyiv will increasingly adopt if it is unable to obtain critical new air defences, a senior commander said on Thursday.

Dozens of people have been killed during intensifying Russian air strikes on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, a trend officials have said will worsen if Kyiv's allies do not step up supplies of critical munitions.

Oleh Zakharchuk, deputy commander of Ukraine's western air command, delivered the warning just days after the Pentagon said it was pausing some supplies of arms Ukraine needs to defend its cities.

"Everyone must understand that there is no such thing as enough weapons," he said at the funeral for fighter pilot Maksym Ustymenko at the golden-domed St Michael's Monastery and Cathedral in Kyiv. 

"If we cannot use the missiles because we do not get them, then it will be very difficult."

Ustymenko was killed on June 29 after shooting down seven Russian Shahed drones during a massive air strike that included hundreds of drones as well as missiles. 

Zakharchuk said the pilot first dispatched all the jet's air-to-air missiles, then resorted to firing his plane's cannons, which the commander described as a riskier tactic because it requires Ukrainian pilots to get close to the drones.

"If we do not shoot down a Shahed and it falls on a settlement, on a building and people die, what should we choose?" he said. "Of course, we choose to destroy air targets despite how difficult and risky it is."

The held-up U.S. package includes missiles carried by the F-16s.

On Thursday, at least four people were killed in separate Russian air strikes on Poltava in central Ukraine and the southern port of Odesa.

The Pentagon's pause, a decision it said was made to conserve U.S. stockpiles, also included precision munitions Ukraine needs to fend off Russian advances on the battlefield.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that he hoped to talk with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump on Friday or in coming days about the decision.

HONOURED IN CENTRAL KYIV

Mourners descended on St. Michael's to honor Ustymenko, whose coffin was later carried to Independence Square in a sombre procession.

Fighter pilots are typically revered in Ukraine for their role in fending off the increasingly heavy waves of air strikes that Russia has launched against Ukrainian towns and cities since late 2022. 

Ustymenko was among the first 12 pilots to train on the prized American-made fighter, which Kyiv began deploying last August, deputy Air Force commander Serhiy Holubtsov said at the ceremony.

Zakharchuk said Ustymenko had logged hundreds of hours on Soviet-era aircraft before transitioning to the F-16. He also tested Gripen fighter jets in Sweden.

(Writing by Dan Peleschuk, Editing by William Maclean)