Ukraine Responds To Rumors 'Ghost Of Kyiv' Fighter Pilot Is Dead

Hours after media reports claimed that the "Ghost of Kyiv" — an ace fighter pilot of Ukraine who gunned down many Russian aircraft — was dead, the Ukrainian official cleared the air by saying that he never existed for real.

In a Facebook post, Ukraine's Air Force on Saturday wrote, "The Ghost of Kyiv is a superhero-legend, whose character was created by Ukrainians!" 

The clarification came after many reports identified Major Stepan Tarabalka as the legendary pilot. Tarabalka was reportedly killed in battle on March 13 after facing an overwhelming number of enemy forces.

In a separate post on Twitter, Ukraine's Air Force debunked the myth of the ace fighter pilot dying in war and said, "The information about the death of The Ghost of #Kyiv is incorrect." 

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"The #GhostOfKyiv is alive, it embodies the collective spirit of the highly qualified pilots of the Tactical Aviation Brigade who are successfully defending #Kyiv and the region," it said. 

Bolstered by the Ukrainian forces, the legend emerged as part of folklore days after Russia began the Ukraine invasion. The anonymous fighter was claimed to have single-handedly taken down multiple Russian planes.

Photo: Dave S on Flickr