The identity of the alleged “Ghost of Kyiv,” the Ukrainian Air Force ace who allegedly shot down dozens of Russian planes, has been revealed: it was Major Stepan Tarabalka, 29, who was killed in the skies of Ukraine on March 13.
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The so-called “Ghost of Kyiv”, the Ukrainian ace pilot who became a myth for the entire population in the first weeks of the war, has died. And now it was revealed his identity. This is Ukrainian Air Force Major Stepan Tarabalka, 29, who is said to have died in combat on March 13 when his MiG-29 fighter was shot down by the Russians. The Times newspaper and then Ukrainian sources confirmed the identity of the mysterious official.
The “Ghost of Kyiv” was hailed as a Ukrainian hero because it would have shot down more than 40 Russian planes, six of them on the first day of the war. According to the London newspaper, which cites family members, after his death the pilot was awarded Ukraine’s highest decoration, the Order of the Golden Star, for bravery in battle and posthumously the title of Hero of Ukraine.
Stepan Tarabalka is survived by his wife Olenia and an 8-year-old son, Yarik. “All we know – as his parents recalled in an interview – is that our son was on a flight mission. He has accomplished his mission, he has done his duty. But he never came home“Even as a child he dreamed of the sky and he hoped that one day he would be able to fly above the clouds. The Tarabalka Ghost of Kyiv helmet and gloves could soon be auctioned in London, according to the Times.