‘Ghost of Kyiv’ dies in battle after shooting down 40 Russian aircraft

• Image Credit: Internet

• Jul 7, 2023 | Dhupali Das

Major Tarabalka was posthumously given Ukraine’s top medal, ‘Order of the Golden Star’ and the title Hero of Ukraine for his courage in battle. 

Digital Desk: A Ukrainian fighter pilot known as the Ghost of Kyiv was killed in the war last month after shooting down as many as 40 Russian planes, the Times report said. 

Major Stepan Tarabalka, 29, was identified as the mysterious airman after his death. According to media reports, he was killed on March 13 when the MiG-29 he was flying was shot down while battling strong enemy forces.

After the government credited Tarabalka with shooting down six Russian planes on the first day of the war, Ukrainians hailed him as a “guardian angel.” His true identity was unknown at the time. He became a famous and enigmatic character known as the Ghost of Kyiv, maybe due to the sense of mystery that surrounded him.

“People call him the Ghost of Kyiv. And rightly so — this UAF ace dominates the skies over our capital and country and has already become a nightmare for invading Russian aircraft.” the official tweet by the Ukrainian government. 

Ukraine’s General Staff later tweeted another photo of the ace fighter pilot in the cockpit of his MiG-29 jet, with his face hidden, with the caption “Hello, occupier, I’m coming for your soul!”

Major Tarabalka was posthumously given Ukraine’s top medal, ‘Order of the Golden Star’ and the title Hero of Ukraine for his courage in battle. His wife Olenia and son Yarik, who is eight years old, survive him.

According to The Times, Major Tarabalka was born into a working-class family in the little village of Korolivka in western Ukraine. He had dreamed of being a pilot since he was a tiny child, inspired by the sight of fighter planes zipping across the sky above his village.

According to his parents, the Ukrainian military refused to give Major Tarabalka’s parents any information on his final flight or death. “We know he was on a mission and he has finished his task. Then he vanished. That is all the information we have,” Evon, his father, told the press. 

Many people wondered if the Ghost of Kyiv was real or if he was just a propaganda figure created by the Ukrainian government to boost morale. Tarabalka’s parents were completely unaware of his clandestine existence. Regrettably, the world only learned the truth after his death. His fame will live on even though he is no longer alive.