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Ukrainian MiG-29 Fighter Crashes After Combat Mission, Pilot Killed on Landing
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
A Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet crashed during landing after completing a combat mission on the night of August 23, according to the Air Force Command.
The pilot, Major Serhii Viktorovych Bondar, born in 1979, was killed in the incident. He was 46 years old. The Air Force stated that an investigation has been launched to determine the causes and circumstances of the crash.
Major Bondar had been recognized for his service earlier this year. On June 6, 2025, he was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, 3rd class, by presidential decree.
The Air Force has lost several fighter jets and experienced pilots during the full-scale war with Russia.
On June 29, Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustymenko, a first-class pilot, was killed while operating an F-16 after shooting down an aerial target. His aircraft sustained critical damage, and although he steered it away from populated areas, he did not have time to eject.
The Air Force Command extended condolences to the family and colleagues of Major Bondar.
Earlier, a Ukrainian MiG-29 carried out a precision strike in the Zaporizhzhia region, dropping an American-made GBU-62 guided bomb on a Russian command post in Kamianske. The facility was destroyed, with reconnaissance drones confirming the elimination of personnel and equipment.
