Legendary Ukrainian fighter pilot remembered after being killed in training accident
Fox News
Ukrainian fighter pilot Andrii Pilshchykov, who died in a training accident last week, is being remembered by those who knew him for his commitment to defending his country.
Swertfager became close to Pilshchykov as a result of the California Air National Guard's longstanding training partnership with the Ukrainian Air Force, which included yearslong planning in the lead-up to a 2018 exercise in Ukraine dubbed "Clear Sky." That partnership allowed Swertfager to see Ukrainian pilots such as Pilshchykov firsthand, an experience that led to him advocating on behalf of Ukrainian calls for modern Western fighter jets.
"The Ukraine Air Force has the pilot corps to fly these types of advanced aircraft," Swertfager told Fox News Digital last year as debate over sending the jets to Ukraine raged in Washington. "The Ukrainian pilots are fantastic. I've flown with every air force in Europe – especially their regional partners."