Service members of Honour Guard carry a portrait of Ukrainian military pilot Colonel Maksym Ustymenko, who died last Sunday operating an F16 fighter jet during a combat mission, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, during his funeral ceremony in Kyiv, Ukraine July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
KYIV (Reuters) -The death of an experienced Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilot in battle against Russian drones shows the high-risk tactics Kyiv will increasingly adopt if it is unable to obtain critical new air defences, a senior commander said on Thursday.
Dozens of people have been killed during intensifying Russian air strikes on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, a trend officials have said will worsen if Kyiv's allies do not step up supplies of critical munitions.
