That Spirit of Kyiv he was killed. The mysterious Ukrainian pilot (who now has an identity), who became a hero over the very high number of Russian planes shot down – it is said to have exceeded 40 – is dead. The news, published by the British newspaper Times, quickly made the rounds on social media. Because on the web the “Ghost of Kyiv” He became a star through his mixed role between reality and stories, which often become myths when they are passed on. The pilot was identified for the first time: it’s the major Stepan Tarabalka, a 29-year-old father of one child. He was allegedly killed on March 13 while fighting a very large number of enemy forces. Tarabalka was awarded the Order of the Gold Star medal, the main award for bravery in battle, with the title of Hero of Ukraine. His helmet and goggles – all seen of him as Ukrainian officials promoted his heroism via social media – are now being auctioned in London.
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The Myth of the Ghost of Kyiv
Tarabalka became a Ukrainian legend when the Ukrainian government credited the then-anonymous pilot with shooting down six Russian jets on the first day War. “People call him the ghost of Kyiv. And rightly so, since it has already become a nightmare for the invasion of Russian planes ». Ukraine’s General Staff later tweeted another photo of the ace in the cabin of his MiG-29 jet with his face covered, captioned: “Hello, occupant, I’m coming for your soul!” Thousands have wondered if the “Spirit” was actually real as his identity has remained a mystery to this day. “We know he flew on a mission. And he fulfilled his mission, his task. Then he didn’t come back. That’s all the information we have,” the family said.
A fighter pilot named Ghost of Kyiv died in a dogfight last month after allegedly shooting down more than 40 Russian planes https://t.co/UCe1dS1iog
– The Times (@thetimes) April 29, 2022
The dream as a child
parents of Tarabalka described how her son’s lifelong dream was to become a fighter pilot while growing up near a military airport in the village of Korolivka. «From early childhood he always dreamed of the sky, of flying higher than the clouds – said his mother – He always watched the paratroopers in their aerial exercises. And he ran in their direction to see where they would land.