Is The Ghost of Kyiv Still Alive or Dead?
The Ghost of Kyiv is the nickname given to a fictitious superhero credited to have shot down six Russian planes during the Kyiv offensive on 24 February 2022. After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 2022, videos of jet fighter planes quickly circulated online. There were claims a single pilot shot down multiple Russian planes….
The Ghost of Kyiv is the nickname given to a fictitious superhero credited to have shot down six Russian planes during the Kyiv offensive on 24 February 2022.
After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 2022, videos of jet fighter planes quickly circulated online.
There were claims a single pilot shot down multiple Russian planes. The pilot was dubbed “The Ghost of Kyiv”, and the Ukrainian government nicknamed the pilot “The Air Avenger”.
Former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko posted a tweet of a photograph of a fighter pilot, falsely claiming it to be the Ghost of Kyiv.
On 27 February, the Security Service of Ukraine said in a Facebook post that the Ghost of Kyiv had shot down 10 aircraft. The Armed Forces of Ukraine posted online a picture of the pilot in his helmet, with the caption “Hello, occupier, I’m coming for your soul!”
Is The Ghost of Kyiv Still Alive or Dead?
Nobody can accurately confirm if The Ghost of Kyiv is real or mere propaganda. Some people identified Major Stepan Tarabalka, the pilot who died in combat on 13 March 2022 as the Ghost.
The Ukrainian government advisor Liubov Tsybulsk was asked in June 2022 about the Ghost of Kyiv, she said it is important to avoid the use of disinformation while acknowledging that mistakes were made.
With her statement, it is still a mystery whether the Ghost of Kyiv was an actual superhero or propaganda to rally the troops.
