“President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posthumously awarded the Ukrainian pilot Alexei Mundfish, who died in the F-16 catastrophe on August 26, 2024 in a battle during a rocket attack of the Russian Federation, the title of Hero of Ukraine with the Order of Golden Star.”, – WRITE: www.pravda.com.ua
Source: Decree No. 165/2025
Literally: “For personal courage and heroism, revealed in the protection of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, selfless service to the Ukrainian people respects:
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To assign the title Hero of Ukraine with awarding the Order of the Golden Star by Mesia Alexei – Colonel (posthumously).
Prehistory:
- On the night and on the morning of August 26, Russian invaders attacked civilian and energy infrastructure of Ukraine, using more than 100 missiles and about 100 shock drones like Shahaned.
- The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported that on August 26, the F-16 fighter was undergoing a plane crash.
- Later, the Air Force reported that on August 26, reflecting the Russian massive combined rocket-analyzing strike, the pilot Alexei Mes was killed.
- The General Staff of the Armed Forces confirmed that during a rocket strike from Russia, the F-16 fighter was disaster.
- In September, Breaking Defense became known for some details of the F-16 fall, in particular that air-growing could occur as a result of getting into the aircraft of fragments of a downed Russian rocket.
- On February 14, The Wall Street Journal published a column about the probable cause of the F-16 fighter crash. The publication writes that it was a friendly fire from the Patriot SC, although Ukraine did not formally report it.
Reference: Alexei Mes became one of the first Ukrainian pilots to master the F-16 fighters. In the fall of 2023 he was trained in Denmark with other Ukrainian pilots.