Ukraine authorities have clarified that the the 'Ghost of Kyiv', who became a part of the folklore after shooting down multiple Russian fighter jets, was indeed a myth. “The Ghost of Kyiv is a superhero-legend, whose character was created by Ukrainians!” Ukraine’s Air Force Command wrote on Facebook on Saturday.
This reveal came after multiple media outlets published stories identifying Major Stepan Tarabalka as the legendary pilot. Tarabalka was a real pilot who died on March 13 during air combat and was posthumously awarded the title Hero of Ukraine, Ukraine's air force said last month. "But, he was not the Ghost of Kyiv," Ukraine said in Saturday's statement.
Social media handles had shared clips of a Ukrainian fighter pilot, who they claimed had downed six Russian fighter jets. If he indeed shot down six aircraft, he would be the first 'ace' of the 21st Century, an ace being a pilot who has shot down five or more enemy aircraft.
Multiple handles claimed the MiG-29 pilot shot down two Su-35s, one Su-27, one MiG-29 and two Su-25 jets. While Ukraine claimed to have shot down seven Russian aircraft on the first day of the conflict, there was no clarity on how exactly they were downed—by other aircraft or by anti-aircraft guns or missiles fired from the ground.
Ukraine's ministry of defence had shared an image of a MiG-29. It tweeted “Dozens of experienced military pilots from the captain to the general, who had previously been discharged from the reserve, are returning to the Air Force of the Armed Forces. Who knows, maybe one of them is the air avenger on the MiG-29, which is so often seen by Kyivites!”
In February, the official Ukraine national handle tweeted: "People call him the Ghost of Kyiv. And rightly so—this UAF ace dominates the skies over our capital and country, and has already become a nightmare for invading Russian aircrafts."
Even former Ukrainian president Petro O. Poroshenko joined in the chorus, identifying one specific pilot as the ace.
-Inputs from agencies
