A Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet crashed overnight on June 27, 2026, while carrying out a combat mission in Poltava Oblast, central Ukraine, the Ukrainian Air Force confirmed.
According to the Air Force, communication with the aircraft was lost during the mission. The service later confirmed the loss of the fighter jet, adding that the pilot successfully ejected and survived.
The pilot established contact with a search and rescue team after landing and was transported to a medical facility for examination and necessary treatment.
“We confirm the loss of the aircraft. The Ukrainian pilot successfully ejected, contacted the search-and-rescue team, and was promptly transported to a medical facility for examination and to receive the necessary care,” the Ukrainian Air Force confirmed.
According to The Kyiv Independent, the cause and circumstances of the accident are being investigated. The Air force did not provide further details about the mission, the crash site, or whether the aircraft was lost due to enemy action, a technical issue, or another operational factor.
The MiG-29 is a Soviet-designed twin-engine multirole fighter developed in the 1970s and introduced into service in the early 1980s. Ukraine continues to operate the aircraft as part of its combat aviation fleet, using upgraded variants for air defense, interception, and strike missions.
The incident comes less than two weeks after another fatal Ukrainian military aviation accident. On June 16, a Ukrainian Su-24M frontline bomber crashed during a combat mission in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, killing both flight crew members.