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the parachute of Major Serhii Plihuzov, one
of the crew members, failed to fully deploy,
resulting in his death. The other crew member,
Major Viktor Zhos, remained in the damaged
aircraft and successfully landed it. Both
officers served in the 7th Tactical Aviation
Brigade. Major Zhos had previously flown
as a navigator on Su-24M aircraft.
Destroyed Slovak MiG-29
Unfortunately, photos have surfaced of
the wreckage of a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter
jet. Based on its characteristic gray-green
camouflage, it was identified as one of the
aircraft donated by Slovakia in March 2023.
The photos appear to have been taken during
the winter months, given the lack of vegetation.
No details are known about its loss—whether
it crashed or was shot down. However,
the wreckage includes the ejection seat
handle, indicating that the pilot did not eject
and likely perished. According to The Military
Watch website, it is almost certainly MiG-29AS
with the original Slovak number 2123.
Slovakia donated 13 MiG-29 aircraft to
Ukraine. Of these, ten were operational, and
three were without engines, meant to serve as
spare parts. Out of ten operational jets, only
four flew to Ukraine from Slovakia’s Sliač
airbase under their own power on March 23,
2023. Aircraft number 2123 was among this
group. The remaining six repairable aircraft
were transported to Ukraine by land. At least
one of these, the two-seater MiG-29UBS with
the number 1303, was repaired by Ukrainians
and entered service with a new number, 80.
F-16s Gradually Arrive
A final piece of recently revealed information
pertains to the loss of an F-16AM destroyed on
August 26, which claimed the life of Lieutenant
Colonel Oleksiy Mes of the 204th Tactical
Aviation Brigade. The cause of this crash
remains unclear, though rumors suggest it
may have been struck by Ukraine’s own Patriot
air defense system. The serial number of the
destroyed jet has now been disclosed: it was
80-3600, a former Danish Air Force aircraft
previously designated E-600.
Denmark has confirmed delivering six
F-16AM jets to Ukraine, marking the first
shipment that arrived in July. Denmark has
pledged a total of 19 F-16s, with two more
shipments scheduled. One is expected to
arrive before the end of 2024.
At the turn of September and October,
the Netherlands retired its fleet of F-16s after
45 years of service, having first acquired the
type in 1979. With 40 of its 58 ordered F-35s
now delivered, the Netherlands could phase
out its older jets. The country has pledged to
supply 24 F-16s directly to Ukraine, with the
first Dutch aircraft arriving in early October,
although the exact number delivered remains
undisclosed. An additional 18 Dutch F-16s have
been sent to Romania, where Ukrainian pilots
are undergoing training. All 18 have already
been transferred.
For now, Ukraine is deploying its F-16s to
counter Russian air raids, officially using them
against cruise missiles. No reports of other
engagements have been confirmed. Further
details about aircraft deliveries to Ukraine
and pilot training will be discussed in the next
installment of this series.
Slovak MiG-29 wreckage: Debris from a former Slovak MiG-29, likely serial number 2123.
An older image of a former Slovak MiG-29 in Ukrainian service.
UKRAINE
INFO Eduard
23
December 2024