News NATO F-16 pilot killed in Russian airstrike

News NATO F-16 pilot killed in Russian airstrike

NATO F-16 pilot killed in Russian airstrike

According to Russia's TASS news agency on January 18, Danish military instructor Jepp Hansen, who was training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets, was killed in a Russian missile strike in Ukraine. Specifically, the attack targeted a training center in the city of Krivoy Rog, in the Dnepropetrovsk region of central Ukraine.

Russian law enforcement sources said that the attack using an Iskander missile destroyed almost the entire upper floor of a four-story building in the city, which was once an abandoned university but was later converted into barracks by the Ukrainian military. According to reports, the facade of the building was severely damaged, causing a large number of casualties, including Mr. Hansen.

Russian media cited a social media post by a close friend of Mr. Hansen, saying that the instructor had extensive experience in flying F-16 fighter jets. He is said to have trained hundreds of Ukrainian pilots to operate the modern aircraft. However, neither Denmark nor the Russian Defense Ministry has yet made any official comments on the information.

The attack comes as NATO countries, including Denmark and the Netherlands, have pledged significant aid to Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets. Last year, the two countries delivered 20 F-16s to Ukraine and promised to continue providing them in 2025. Other NATO countries such as Norway, Belgium and Greece have also pledged additional fighter jets to strengthen Kiev's air force.

Russia has repeatedly criticized Western military aid, especially the delivery of F-16 fighter jets. Moscow has accused Ukraine of only prolonging the conflict, calling the supply of modern weapons a serious escalation of hostilities. According to Russia, these weapons cannot change the outcome of the war.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has been going on since February 2022, has attracted strong intervention from Western countries through military and financial aid. However, Moscow still insists that the goal of the military campaign is to “protect national security interests” and achieve strategic goals in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Kiev and Western countries continue to condemn Russia for its escalating violence, especially attacks that have caused great damage to infrastructure and civilians in Ukraine.

However, the pledges of support from the West have not changed Moscow's position. The Kremlin has consistently defended its position, warning that deeper NATO involvement would only increase instability and tensions in the region. The death of a NATO F-16 pilot in the attack on Krivoy Rog is a clear demonstration of the danger and complexity of the conflict.