An Ukrainian F-16 fighter operated by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) crashed during a combat mission along the front, after an in-flight emergency forced the pilot to eject.The AFU reported the incident on Wednesday, July 29, saying that the pilot had been carrying out a mission intercepting Russian aerial targets when the emergency occurred.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“According to preliminary data, an emergency situation occurred onboard the aircraft, forcing the pilot to eject,” the AFU said.Pilot evacuated, no casualties reportedAccording to the statement, the pilot was evacuated from the area shortly after ejecting, and is currently safe.He has since been taken to a medical facility for examination and diagnosis, while law enforcement authorities continue working at the crash site.No civilian casualties or property damage have been recorded.Case under investigationAccording to the AFU, the exact cause of the emergency has not yet been determined and remains under investigation. Further details about the aircraft’s flight path and the specific frontline sector involved were not disclosed.Ukraine has operated F-16 fighter jets since 2024, when allied nations began delivering the aircraft to bolster the country’s air defenses against continuous Russian missile and drone attacks.In March, Ukraine reported that their F-16 jets were left without US-made air-to-air missiles for more than three weeks in late 2025, leaving the aircraft with limited capability.