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According to the report, Dozens of people paid tribute to a prominent Ukrainian Air Force pilot on Thursday by attending his funeral service in St. Michael Church in Kyiv. According to Associated Press, 32-year-old Maksym Ustymenko was killed during a combat mission on the night of June 29, when he was repelling one of Russia's largest attacks on Ukraine. His F16 was damaged after shooting down 7 Shahed drones."Maksym fulfilled the greatest commandment of God, not sparing his own life, he saved not dozens, but probably hundreds of other lives," said military chaplain Dmytro Prysiazhnyi during the funeral service in St. Michael Church. Maksym Ustymenko managed to take the plane away from the settlement and avoid casualties, but he died before he could eject. For this act of self-sacrifice he was posthumously awarded with a highest state reward "Hero of Ukraine"."To divert an already damaged plane from a populated area and continue to fly this plane is a complicated task. But the pilot did it, he is truly a hero", said deputy commander of the air command "West", brigadier general of Ukraine Air Force Oleh Zakharchuk.
The report also stated that Oleh Zakharchuk, who was also a teacher of Ustumenko, described him as an excellent pilot, capable of fulfilling the most complex missions. When they had to work all day and then repel attacks at night, Ustymenko was the first to be sent to perform this task because he was the one who could fulfill it, said Zakharchuk. At the time of the full-scale invasion, Maksym Ustymenko was training abroad and immediately returned to his unit to perform his duty. Ustymenko was the first pilot who shot down cruise missiles over Kyiv at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. He was a new generation pilot who was trained to become a pilot of the F16."He spoke with enthusiasm about the F16 plane, as a powerful machine that must be used at full power. Maksym was one of those pilots who did this," said Zakharchuk.
Watch the report on the YouTube link.
The report also stated that Oleh Zakharchuk, who was also a teacher of Ustumenko, described him as an excellent pilot, capable of fulfilling the most complex missions. When they had to work all day and then repel attacks at night, Ustymenko was the first to be sent to perform this task because he was the one who could fulfill it, said Zakharchuk. At the time of the full-scale invasion, Maksym Ustymenko was training abroad and immediately returned to his unit to perform his duty. Ustymenko was the first pilot who shot down cruise missiles over Kyiv at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. He was a new generation pilot who was trained to become a pilot of the F16."He spoke with enthusiasm about the F16 plane, as a powerful machine that must be used at full power. Maksym was one of those pilots who did this," said Zakharchuk.
Watch the report on the YouTube link.