Ukraine just lost another MiG-29, and a 25-year-old flight commander. 🫡
Capt. Marat Mambetov was flying missile and bomb strikes on Russian positions when an enemy missile hit his MiG-29 on Oct. 1. He ejected but didn't survive, Ukraine's Air Force said. He was a flight commander in the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade, the "Ghost of Kyiv" unit.
The bigger story is the fleet. The IISS estimated Ukraine had just 14 MiG-29s left at the end of 2025. Kyiv has now officially acknowledged three combat losses since June, with more reportedly destroyed on the ground.
WHY IT MATTERS
- Every loss costs a frontline strike jet and a trained pilot, both scarce.
- Soviet-era MiG-29s are still flying strike missions in the war's fifth year.
- Help has been slow. Zelensky has pointed to possible three F-16s from Belgium by year's end. #Russia #Ukraine
