Ukraine mourns the death in action of Captain Anton Listopad, who was named the country’s best fighter pilot in 2019 and recently awarded the Courage Award by President Zelensky. Listopad’s death was confirmed at the Lyceum for Physics and Technology, the training center from which he graduated, although the day and circumstances under which this happened are not explained. Some sources suggest that his plane was supposed to fall during an air raid on the Russian army in the Donbass, where Moscow deployed a wide air defense screen.
“Anton’s path to becoming a fighter pilot was difficult but important,” the Liceo said in a statement, adding, “The young man relentlessly pursued his dream of becoming a pilot.”
Listopad participated in the counter-offensive from February 24, the first day of the Russian invasion, which dealt a heavy blow to Ukrainian aviation. Indeed, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported on March 29 that Ukraine’s fighter fleet and air defense systems were “virtually destroyed,” having lost 123 of 152 combat aircraft and half of its helicopters. All this foreshadowed that the invasion could be over in a matter of weeks; an erroneous assumption, as has been shown.
Just as Ukraine lost much of its military infrastructure, it has managed to rebuild it thanks to international contributions. The request for planes and missiles from Kyiv was constant during the more than five months that the war lasted. Zelenskiy himself acknowledged that imperfection in aerial combat played a key role in the advance of the Russian forces that now dominate much of the Donbass and in the brutal sieges of cities like Bucha or Mariupol. And he does not want to leave this gap open.
A few days after the fire started, various media outlets repeated the death of the so-called “ghost of Kyiv”, a kind of sky hero who would have shot down 40 Russian aircraft in his reckless and fearless actions. The information believed that the “ghost” was Stepan Taralbalka, who died on March 13 when Russian shells hit his plane. Later, the General Staff of Ukraine denied the existence of this hero. He clarified that this is a legend made up of the actions of all the pilots of the 40th tactical aviation brigade of the Air Force, which was responsible for the defense of Kyiv. They are said to “suddenly appear where they are not expected”, which allowed the rumor of a mythological ghost pilot to be created.
Listopad, the last hero of the Ukrainian sky, this month received the Order of Courage of the third degree. Last year, the General Staff entrusted him with the honor of leading a parade of aircraft over the capital during the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the country’s independence. “Millions of Ukrainians watched this flight with admiration and pride,” the Lyceum stressed.
Since the beginning of hostilities with Russia, the Ukrainian Air Force has not been particularly distinguished by its publicity, and its pilots are not as well known as the military defending the territory from the ground. But this wing played a very important role in the war due to its ability to slow down the advance of the Russians, even when its operational strength was minimal. Its role was essential, first of all, in the defense of Kyiv, and its power has only increased since the West, and especially the US, began to supply it with heavy weapons. In recent days, military media have reported that while Russian bombers and helicopters continue to put pressure from the front, the number of incursions into Ukrainian-controlled territory has decreased.
The government now hopes to get modern Swedish-made Gripen fighters for a fleet hitherto dominated by US F-16s. “Not only F-16s are good. There are other modern standards,” Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov recently noted.
Source: El Correo
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