Ghost of Kyiv: Former President of Ukraine lauds alleged ace Ukrainian fighter pilot
Petro Poroshenko posted a photo of a fighter pilot he says is the Ghost of Kyiv, who allegedly shot down six Russian planes on the first day of fighting.
The Ghost of Kyiv has become a Ukrainian hero across social media, as stories spread of a fighter pilot who had allegedly downed six Russian planes in the first day of the invasion of Putin's forces. While the stories of the Ghost remain unconfirmed and the facts coming from the conflict would suggest it is unlikely to be true, former Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko, posted a photo of a pilot on Twitter saying this was none other than the Ghost of Kyiv.
На фото – пілот МіГ-29. Той самий «Привид Києва».
— Петро Порошенко (@poroshenko) February 25, 2022
Він викликає жах у ворогів та гордість в українців 🇺🇦
На його рахунку 6 перемог над російськими пілотами!
З такими потужними захисниками Україна точно переможе! pic.twitter.com/GJLpcJ31Si
In the tweet the former president says: "In the photo - the MiG-29 pilot. None other than the Ghost of Kyiv. He causes terror in enemies and pride in Ukrainians. He has six victories over Russian pilots! With such powerful defenders, Ukraine will definitely win"!
See also:
- Anonymous hack Russian TV
- Donald Trump jokes about bombing Russia with China-flagged planes
- Theories about the mysterious 'Z' on Russian tanks in Ukraine
- Ukraine's Antonov AN-225 'Mriya', the largest plane in the world, destroyed by Russia
- Ukrainian and Russian armies compared
Photo of Ghost of Kyiv
The photo was identified as an old photo of a fighter pilot, on Sina.cn, a Chinese website, with the legend, Ukrainian MiG-29 pilots switching to French MSA Gallet - LA100 helmet. (MSA being a helmet manufacturer and the LA100 being a lightweight flight helmet for jet aircraft pilots performing combat missions or aerobatics flights on jet fighters using oxygen supply and ejection seat.)
Of course that doesn't mean this isn't the pilot who is known as the Ghost of Kyiv, just that this particular photo wasn't taken during the conflict. Former President Poroshenko does not name the pilot or give any details about them.
It may be that the Ghost of Kyiv is real and Poroshenko has posted an old photo of them, or it may be that the former President is boosting an urban legend that is giving hope to his beleaguered fellow Ukrainian citizens as they face a massive invasion of their lands.
The bigger they are, the harder they fall. “The Ghost of Kyiv fights the bear” #ghostofkyiv #UkraineInvasion #UkraineWar #StandWithUkriane pic.twitter.com/DMnOqDggaK
— Elias (@ArtisticElias) February 25, 2022
Ukraine claim to have downed two Russian Ilushyn II-76s
Earlier today, Ukraine claimed to have downed two Russian Ilushyn II-76s, at least one of which was apparently carrying tens of paratroopers.
⚡️Ukraine’s air defense downs a Russian transporter carrying paratroopers near Kyiv.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) February 25, 2022
A Russian Ilyushin Il-76 plane was shot down close to the city of Vasylkiv south of Kyiv, according to Ukraine’s top general Valeriy Zaluzhniy.
The aircraft could carry up to 150 troops.
However, according to a senior Western intelligence official, talking on condition of anonymity to AFP, Russia has almost entirely eliminated Ukraine's air defences and "they no longer have an air force to fly and protect themselves. Essentially the Russians now have complete air superiority over Ukraine."
Note: the photo that accompanies this article is a file photo of a MiG-29. Specifically a Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 performing during the joint tasks on enhanced airspace protection Air Policing by the Bulgarian and Spanish Air Forces on February 17, 2022 in Graf Ignatievo, Bulgaria.