Key facts
- A Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet was shot down by a Russian missile on October 1, 2026.
- Captain Marat Redvanovych Mambetov, a 25-year-old pilot, died in the incident.
- Mambetov was a flight commander in the "Ghost of Kyiv" 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade.
- The pilot ejected but did not survive the crash.
- The incident occurred during a combat mission in eastern Ukraine.
A Ukrainian pilot, Captain Marat Redvanovych Mambetov, died on October 1, 2026, after his MiG-29 fighter jet was shot down by a Russian missile during a combat mission in eastern Ukraine. The country's Air Force confirmed the incident, stating that Mambetov, who was 25 years old, ejected from the aircraft but did not survive.
Mambetov served as a flight commander in the "Ghost of Kyiv" 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade, which operates some of Ukraine's Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets. The Air Force expressed condolences to his family and friends, noting that he "defended Ukraine until his last breath."