Fighter ace dubbed “Ghost of Kyiv” was actually fake news, Ukraine military admits

Ukrainian military historian Mikhail Zhirohov told the BBC the Ghost of Kyiv story was simply “propaganda for raising morale”.

“It’s essential to have this propaganda, because our armed forces are smaller, and many think we can’t be equal to them [the Russians]. We need this in wartime,” he admitted.

During the first few days of the invasion, the Ukrainian military reported that the pilot was eating ‘Russian aircraft for breakfast’.

Taking to Twitter at the time, Ukraine released footage of the pilot, writing: “Ukraine probably not its first ace since World War II. This is the anonymous pilot of the MiG-29, nicknamed the Ghost of Kyiv.

“In the first 30 hours of the Russian invasion in February 2022, he shot down six Russian military aircraft. As of February 26, 10 military planes of the occupiers [were shot down].

“To become an ace pilot, you need to shoot down five planes. And the Ghost of Kyiv shot twice as many.”

The post continued: “And although it is still unknown who is piloting the Ukrainian MiG-29 plane and whether he is responsible for the ten downed Russian planes, Ukrainians are grateful to this hero with brass balls, who’s having Russian aircraft for breakfast.

“God speed and happy hunting.”

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