“Ghost of Kyiv” is killed
- Major Stepan Tarabalka, 29, has become a legendary figure in Ukraine’s defense
- He shot down as many as 40 Russian planes, but there were doubts that he was real
- A famous Twitter with 5 million views has been debunked by Reuters fact-checkers
- Sources confirmed his death on March 13 after being surrounded by Russians
The legendary Ghost of Kyiv fighter pilot who shot down more than 40 Russian planes died in combat last month, Ukrainian sources have claimed.
Major Stepan Tarabalka, 29, father of one, was flying a MiG-29 when it was shot down March 13 fighting “overwhelming” enemy forces.
He quickly gained worldwide notoriety after shooting down six Russian planes on the first day of the invasion when the Ukrainian government tweeted a video of the claims.
Major Stepan Tarabalka, 29, father of one, was flying a MiG-29 when it was shot down March 13 fighting “overwhelming” enemy forces
Two days before his death, the Ukrainian General Staff shared this photo of the legendary fighter sitting in the cockpit. They captioned it: “Hello, occupiers, I come for your soul!”. He quickly gained worldwide notoriety after shooting down six Russian planes on the first day of the invasion when the Ukrainian government tweeted a video of the claims
But then speculation grew that the “ghost of Kyiv” and its staggering number of killings was a myth concocted by the Ukrainian government to bolster the ranks of its defiant combatants.
On the first day of Vladimir Putin’s invasion, Twitter was awash with clips purportedly showing a Ukrainian jet soaring through the sky over several cities and shooting down six Kremlin planes in dogfights.
One of the ciips, which received nearly 5 million views, was thoroughly debunked as a clip from the 2008 video game Digital Combat Simulator, with a fact check by Reuters concluding: “A vertical video shared online does not show a Ukrainian fighter jet, who shoots down a Russian plane, but it’s from the video game DCS.’
A few days later, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry posted a video on the government’s Twitter account praising the skill and bravery of the “Ghost of Kyiv,” but it used the same debunked footage.
For most internet sleuths, the story seemed too Hollywood to be true.
Sources have now confirmed his identity and death to The Times.
His helmet and goggles are now set to go up for sale at an auction in London.
After its initial success, the Ukrainian government said: “People call it the ghost of Kyiv. And rightly so – this UAF [Ukrainian Air Force] ace is dominating the skies over our capital and country and has already become a nightmare for invading Russian planes.’
It has been speculated that he was a Ukrainian myth intended to inspire courage in the ranks of their defiant fighters
He was posthumously awarded the country’s highest medal for bravery in combat, the Order of the Golden Star, and the title of Hero of Ukraine.
Two days before his death, the Ukrainian General Staff shared a photo of the legendary fighter sitting in the cockpit.
They captioned it, “Hello occupier, I come for your soul!”
Tarabalka was born into a working-class family in the village of Korolivka in western Ukraine.
He attended Kharkiv National University of the Air Force and is survived by his wife Olenia and eight-year-old son Yarik.
Local reports say he is personally responsible for the downing of 40 Russian planes and possibly more.
His mother, Nahtalia, said he saw MiG jets fly overhead and always dreamed of becoming a fighter pilot.
She said: “He used to watch the paratroopers during their aerial exercises. And he ran in their direction to see where they had landed. From an early age he always dreamed of the sky, of flying higher than the clouds.’
Once qualified, he flew regularly over their village, tilting the wings of his jet in a salute to family.