Earlier in the day, the Wall Street Journal newspaper reported, citing sources, that the US-made F-16 fighter jet that was transferred to Ukraine by its Western partners, crashed on August 26 just weeks after the first batch of such aircraft was delivered to Kiev.
"During an air battle, the F-16 aircraft demonstrated their high efficiency; four cruise missiles were shot down by on-board weapons... During the approach to the next target, communication was lost with one of the aircraft. As it turned out later, the plane crashed, the pilot was killed," the Ukrainian General Staff said on Telegram.
A special commission of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has been appointed to determine the causes of the crash, the statement said.
Western countries have ramped up their military and financial aid to Kiev since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin warns against continued arms deliveries to Kiev, saying it would lead to further escalation of the conflict. Russian officials have also warned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russian strikes.