Yuriy Ignat, a spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, commented on a video with a story by a Ukrainian combat pilot of a Western F-16 fighter jet about the complexity of working on air and ground targets, serious danger, and successes.
The corresponding video was published on the Air Force's YouTube channel.
He noted that in general, Ukrainian pilots show excellent combat results. In particular, an F-16 pilot, whose name and call sign are not being mentioned for security reasons, spoke about the nuances of combat missions, tactics of use, as well as a powerful team that managed to successfully master Western equipment and apply new approaches.
Ignat shared that when the video was being recorded, Russian propaganda claimed that the fighter jet had been shot down, but this was untrue, even though the danger was indeed very serious.
"On the day we recorded this video with the pilot, the Russians were happy that they had hit a Ukrainian F-16! Of course, they didn't shoot down anything, but the danger was serious. When performing combat missions, for maximum efficiency, Ukrainian pilots have to get close to the enemy, and missiles from enemy aircraft and ground-based anti-aircraft missile systems fly at them every time. The aviation equipment provided by partners and the training of the flight crew allow not only to effectively use means of destruction against enemy air and ground targets, but also to save the lives of our pilots, to divert planes from enemy missile strikes... ", Ignat added.
As "Apostrophe" wrote, Ignat previously reported that a comprehensive approach is needed to ensure the superiority of the Defense Forces in the air.