On April 12, a US-made F-16 was crashed while performing "combat mission", killing Pavlo Ivanov pilot. This is the second time a F-16 has been confirmed in the accident since Ukraine put the aircraft into the middle of a conflict with Russia.
However, RT said that it is noteworthy that Kiev is sending mixed messages about the cause of the incident.
While President Volodymyr Zelensky hinted that Russia was behind the airstrike and pledged a " strong and accurate response", the Ukrainian Air Force announced the establishment of an interdisciplinary committee for investigation, a move that often only appears when there are suspicions of fire from its own side.
Earlier, the first F-16 was shot down in August last year. The investigation conclusion has never been published, but many sources said the aircraft may have been confused and destroyed by Ukrainian air defense systems.
The latest incident raises many questions not only about the F-16's ability to operate independently in the Russian-controlled sky, but also about the synchronization and effectiveness of Ukraine's command and control system.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat frankly admitted that the F-16 versions that Ukraine received could not face directly the Russian Su-35.
"We need an overall approach: ground air defense system, electronic war, aerial radar, radar mounted on aircraft and air missiles," - Ukrainian Air Force spokesman added.
