Air Force Day. As Ukrainian pilots get closer to victory
On June 27, 2007, President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko instructed his decree to celebrate the first Sunday of August annually as the Air Force Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This decision was motivated by the head of state with the importance of this kind of troops "in ensuring the defense capability of the state.
" At the same time, Yushchenko canceled the decree of his predecessor Leonid Kuchma since 1997, according to which in Ukraine the Day of Air Defense Troops was celebrated annually on July first Sunday. Thus, in 2022 Ukraine will celebrate the 16th day of the Air Force of the Armed Forces. The Air Force has existed in the Armed Forces since 2004 and have been created by uniting the other two: air forces and troops of Ukraine's air defense.
Structurally, Ukrainian Air Force consists of command, air commands, Kharkiv National University of Air Force, military units and direct subordination institutions. The Air Force of the Armed Forces includes a variety of aviation (bombing, fighter, assault, intelligence, transport aviation) and troops (anti -aircraft, missile and radio technical).
The Air Force also includes separate military units and units of special troops (intelligence, engineering, radiation, chemical and bacteriological protection, communication, automated control systems and radio technical support, radio-electronic wrestling, meteorological support, parts of material and technical and medical support and medical support and medical support others).
In arms of the Ukrainian Air Force-MiG-29, Su-27, Su-25, Su-24, Su-24, SU-24MR, L-39, IL-76, AN-26, AN-24, An-30, Tu-30 , Mi-8, Mi-9 helicopters, anti-aircraft missile systems S-300 and others. At the moment, the White House is studying the opportunity to provide Ukraine with American fighters.
And in mid-July, the House of Representatives of the United States adopted a project of a law on defense policy worth $ 840 billion, some of which should go to training Ukrainian pilots to work at F-15 and F-16 fighters. According to the speaker of the Air Force Command Yuri Ignat, Ukrainian pilots will be able to master these fighters in about six months.
In the first days of a full -scale invasion of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, on February 27, the SBU announced the Ukrainian pilot, which was called the "ghost of Kiev", which allegedly knocked down 10 Russian aircraft. The story of Kyiv's Ghost has gained popularity on social networks and went beyond Ukraine. In particular, at the end of April, The Times reported that the Ghost of Kiev was killed, knocking down 40 enemy aircraft.
According to the edition, he was 29-year-old Major Stepan Tarabalka. On March 13, 2022, the Tarabalka's death in battle with the prevailing forces of the occupiers on March 23 reported the Armed Forces Command on March 23. The report said that the pilot was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine, and he was awarded the Order of the Golden Star. How many enemy aircraft he has knocked down, is not mentioned.
However, on March 17, in an interview with HB, answering the question of whether the story of "Ghost of Kiev", which knocks Russian planes with dozens, only legend, adviser to the chairman of the Presidential Office Alexei Arestovich answered: "We are knocking down a lot, and I do not think. that is one pilot. It is rather a group of such ghosts of Kiev. " After the Times was published, the Air Force Command made a similar statement.
Hero of Ukraine Stepan Tarabalka is not the "ghost of Kiev" and he did not knock 40 aircraft. The ghost of Kiev is a superhero-legend whose figure was created by Ukrainians! Rather, this is a collective image of the pilots of the 40th Brigade of Tactical Aviation Air Force, which protects the sky of the capital. Which suddenly appear where they are not waiting for them! " The material states that "in his account - more than 22 knocked out hostile planes and winged missiles.
" comments in this interview "The Ghost of Kiev" rumors of his death. "The ghost of Kiev" became the hero of the Japanese manga. It was reported that the manga would be published in Ukrainian. On June 14, the speaker of the Air Force Yuri Ignat told at a briefing that the first two weeks wars became the most difficult for Ukrainian pilots. At that time, Russian invaders had an advantage in the sky from one to six to one.
However, the enemy is now afraidAviation, where, in fact, emerged the image of the ghost of Kiev, a collective image of our military pilots. Then they [together with the 39th brigade from the Zhytomyr region] took on heavy blows. They took on the protection of the capital, which was the number one target for the occupiers, "he said. Stepan Tarabalka is not the only heroically killed Ukrainian pilot in the fight against Russian invaders.
The names of some of them were reported by the Armed Forces Air Force and the Army. On the first day of the war, on February 24, Major Dmitry Kolomiets and Lieutenant Colonel Vyacheslav Erko were killed. Major Kolomiets came into battle in the first hours of the war, when most Ukrainians were not yet suspected. comrades, realizing that he was going on. On February 28, he was posthumously awarded the title Gennady Matlyak.
This day he destroyed the column of the invaders under Gostomel and again went to carry out the combat mission to the Vyshgorod district of Kyiv region Izko 7th in the morning his aircraft was shot down by a Russian fighter and his mother tried to remove the aircraft because there was a large entertainment complex under it. When he was going to catapult, his plane was lined up and flashed. He fell in the forest belt a few kilometers from the settlement.
On February 28, Gennady Matuliak was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine. On March 2, a pilot of the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade Major Alexander Bryzhala was killed. Yuri Ignat was told about his last fight at a briefing on June 14. “One case when the two MiG-29 fighters flew to the interception, it seemed to be four high-tech Russian fighter fighters. When they dispersed, there were 12. There were four points - 12 aircraft.
But our pilots did not change the course, went into battle right on them. As a result, we lost Alexander Bryngal's pilot, he died heroically. The second pilot completed the task and returned to the base. The invaders lost three expensive aircraft in that battle, ”the speaker of the Air Force said. On April 2, Bryngali was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine. 26-year-old Captain Yegor Seredyuk died on April 15.