Deadly fighter jet crash in Ukraine appears to have claimed the life of a US pilot

REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/File Photo

A Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet lands during the Clear Sky 2018 multinational military drills at Starokostiantyniv

• Both US Air Forces in Europe and the Ukrainian defense ministry confirmed that a Su-27 fighter aircraft crashed Tuesday during the ongoing Clear Sky 2018 joint military exercises in the Ukraine.
• The Ukrainian defense ministry announced that two pilots were killed in the crash, and US Air Forces in Europe revealed that a US service member was involved.
• The ongoing exercises involve military personnel from nine countries and are focused on enhancing interoperability.

Two pilots, one American and one Ukrainian, are believed to have been killed in a crash during joint war games in the Ukraine.

A Ukrainian Su-27UB fighter aircraft crashed in an area about 185 miles southwest of the Ukrainian capital of Kiev during the ongoing Clear Sky 2018 exercises, US Air Forces in Europe said in a statement. "We have seen reports claiming a U.S. casualty and can confirm a U.S. service member was involved in this incident."

The Ukrainian defense ministry also confirmed the crash, revealing that two bodies were identified. One was a Ukrainian Air Forces pilot, and the other was reportedly a member of the US Air Force National Guard, although that has not yet been officially confirmed by either US or Ukrainian officials.

The situation is currently under investigation.

The multinational Clear Sky exercises involve military personnel from nine countries determined to bolster interoperability through joint drills focused on "air sovereignty, air interdiction, air-to-ground integration, air mobility operations, aeromedical evacuation, cyber defense, and personnel recovery," US Air Forces in Europe explained in a separate statement.

"This is the largest exercise in the last four years. It involves more than 50 aircrafts from eight NATO member-states and our planes - of the Ukrainian Air Forces," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced last week, according to The Drive.

"The purpose of the exercises is to increase the level of interoperability of our combat aircrafts with the air forces of the United States and other member states of the [NATO] Alliance," he added.

The exercises began on Oct. 8 and were in their final week at the time of Tuesday's incident.