On the night of August 22-23, a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter aircraft crashed during the landing approach after completing a combat mission, the Ukrainian Air Force reported on its Telegram channel. The pilot, Maj. Serhiy Bondar, born in 1979, died.
Maj. Bondar served in the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade “Ghost of Kyiv” and was deputy squadron commander. Serhiy returned to service after Russia’s full-scale invasion.
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Bondar had been recognized for his service earlier this year. On June 6, 2025, he was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd class, by presidential decree.
He is survived by his wife and two children.
The causes and circumstances of the crash are being established.
The Air Force has yet to divulge information about where the aircraft crashed or flew its mission.
The MiG-29 (NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union.
Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine had several dozen MiG-29 fighters but some have been lost in combat over the past three and a half years.
The Soviet-era aircraft continue to play a crucial role on multiple fronts, not only striking ground targets but also regularly intercepting Russian Shahed drones during attacks on Ukraine.
On June 29 a Ukrainian F-16 pilot was killed while defending the country from a massive Russian air attack.
Lt. Col. Maksym Ustymenko, 31, died after his fighter jet was damaged during an operation to intercept Russian missiles and drones.
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During the defense operation, Ustymenko, a first-class pilot, destroyed seven enemy air targets aboard his F-16 before his aircraft sustained critical damage. He managed to steer his jet away from populated areas but was unable to eject in time.
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