Ukrainian MiG-29 Lost During Combat Mission, Pilot Killed

Ukraine’s Air Force reported the loss of a MiG-29 fighter jet on October 1, saying the pilot from the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade «Ghost of Kiev» was killed.

According to a statement published on the Ukrainian Air Force’s Telegram channel, the aircraft was hit by a missile while carrying out a combat mission. The pilot managed to eject but did not survive.

Ukrainian military officials identified the pilot as Marat Mambetov, a flight commander with the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade. They said he was flying a MiG-29 on a combat sortie on October 1.

The exact location where the fighter went down has not been officially disclosed. Ukrainian authorities have also provided no further details about the circumstances surrounding the loss of the aircraft.

The incident follows another Ukrainian Air Force aircraft loss in August 2026. Ukrainian media reported at the time that a military plane crashed near the border between the Odessa and Nikolayev regions. In that case, the pilot successfully ejected.