Ukraine pilot killed, F-16 fighter jet lost in Russian drone and missile attack

A Ukrainian pilot was killed and his F-16 fighter jet lost while repelling a large-scale Russian nighttime missile and drone attack, the Ukrainian military said on Sunday (June 29, 2025).

It was the third such loss of an F-16 of the war, the military said.

“The pilot used all of his onboard weapons and shot down seven air targets. While shooting down the last one, his aircraft was damaged and began to lose altitude,” the Air Force said on the Telegram messaging app.

It said the pilot did everything he could and flew the jet away from a settlement but did not have time to eject.

The military said Russia had launched 477 drones and 60 missiles of various types to Ukraine overnight and Ukrainian forces destroyed 211 drones and 38 missiles.

It said air strikes were recorded in six locations.