On the night of June 29 to 30, 2025, Russian aggressors launched yet another assault on Ukraine, employing various missiles and drones. In this attack, Colonel Maxim Ustimenko, a first-class pilot, lost his life.

This was reported by the Air Forces of Ukraine.

Quote: "Regrettably, we have suffered another painful loss. This night, while defending against a massive aerial assault by the enemy, Colonel Maxim Ustimenko, born in 1993, was killed in an F-16 aircraft. The pilot utilized the full range of his onboard armament, shooting down seven enemy aircraft.

During the final engagement, his plane sustained damage and began to lose altitude. Maxim Ustimenko did everything possible to steer the aircraft away from populated areas but could not eject in time."

Details: According to military sources, Russia launched over 500 aerial targets during the night.

The F-16s, in particular, destroyed dozens of Shahed drones.