The well-known pilot ‘Juice’, alias Andrii Pilshchykov, was killed in an aircraft collision in Zhytomyr oblast. A great loss for the Ukrainian Air Force.
The well-known Ukrainian pilot Andrii Pilshchykov, also known by the pseudonym Juice, has died in a tragic airplane collision in the Shytomyr oblast. This was confirmed by information from the pilot’s entourage, reported to the “Ukrainska Pravda” are present.
According to the information received by Ukrainska Pravda from military and law enforcement sources, there was a fatal collision of an L-39 trainer aircraft in the Zhytomyr district. Three pilots were reportedly killed in the accident. The news of Juice’s death was confirmed by his friend Pavlo Potseluiev as well as by volunteer Melaniia Podoliak on social media.
Ukraine Faces Setback: Key Figure Sidelined
Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, paid tribute to the late pilot in a later update. He stressed that Pilshchykov was known not only as a pilot, but also as a dedicated officer and communicator. Andrii Pilshchykov had been a key player in the efforts to equip the Ukrainian Air Force with modern F-16 fighter aircraft. He had held numerous talks with Western media in the past and had been particularly active in the defense of Ukrainian airspace during the Russian invasion in 2022. In doing so, he always emphasized the need for support from Western partners in the form of modern combat aircraft.
Image: Armija Inform, Ukrainian Mig29 US f16, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, (no changes made)