Ukrainian pilot Marat Mambetov killed in MiG-29 strike on Defenders Day

The 25-year-old flight commander with the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade ejected after his MiG-29 was hit by a Russian missile during missile and bomb strikes against enemy forces on October 1, 2026, but did not survive. Ukraine's Air Force confirmed the loss, praising his defense of the skies until his final breath as part of the brigade known as the Ghost of Kyiv. His death on Ukraine’s Defenders Day drew widespread tributes, with photos of him beside his camouflaged jet circulating alongside messages of eternal glory. The incident underscores the dangers pilots face in contested airspace using upgraded Soviet-era jets.