American pilot killed in Ukrainian fighter jet crash: reports

The US military has confirmed that “a U.S. service member” was involved in the incident.

The Ukrainian military was earlier quoted as saying that the crash killed the pilot and co-pilot. It did not give their nationalities.

“We have seen reports claiming a U.S. casualty and can confirm a U.S. service member was involved in this incident,” the US Air Force in Europe has said on its usafe.af.mil website.

It added that the incident was under investigation and that it would “continue to provide more information as it becomes available.”

The US military also said that the Su-27UB fighter aircraft crashed in the Khmelnytskyi region of western Ukraine during a multinational exercise called Clear Sky 2018.

The Reuters news agency has reported that the two pilots, the other of whom was Ukrainian, were the only people on board.

Personnel from Ukraine and eight NATO countries, including the United States and Poland, are taking part in the Clear Sky 2018 exercise, which runs until Friday, according to Poland’s niezalezna.pl website.

The exercise “aims to enhance regional capabilities to secure air sovereignty and promote peace and security through cooperation, collaboration and interoperability with NATO partners and other allies in the region,” according to a US Air Force news release.

Four Polish Air Force F-16 jets with crew and support personnel are taking part in the drills, niezalezna.pl has reported.

(gs/pk)

Source: niezalezna.pl, PAP, usafe.af.mil, Reuters