FLYING ACE
Debunked urban legend ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ promoted by Ukrainian Govt in bid to ‘unite nation’
UKRAINIAN Government officials have shared a macho propaganda video of a fighter pilot dubbed the “Ghost of Kyiv” which claims the masked pilot has shot down several Russian jets.
Footage of the MiG-29 jet allegedly shows a Ukrainian jets soaring through the air and destroyed six Kremlin planes on the first day Vladimir Putin launched his war.
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But one of the videos has been debunked by experts as being from the 2008 videogame Digital Combat Simulator.
However, officials in Kyiv are still promoting the bizarre claims that the unnamed pilot does exist – trying to rally support for their resistance against the Russian invasion.
The Ukrainian government’s official account posted the 38 second clip on their social media today, writing: “People call him the Ghost of Kyiv.
"And rightly so – this UAF ace dominates the skies over our capital and country, and has already become a nightmare for invading Russian aircrafts.”
The footage starts with a cartoon mock-up of the plane, before going into the debunked footage of a destroyed Russian jet.
Text then appears on the video, which states: “Ukraine probably got its first ace since World War II. This is the anonymous pilot of the MiG-29, nicknamed the Ghost of Kyiv.
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“In the first 30 hours of the Russian invasion in February 2022 he shot down six Russian military aircraft.
“As of February 26 – 10 military planes of the occupiers. To become an ace pilot, you need to shoot down five planes. And the Ghost of Kyiv shot twice as many.
“And although it is still unknown who is piloting the Ukrainian MiG-29 plane and whether he is responsible for the 10 downed Russian planes, Ukrainians are grateful to this hero with brass balls, who’s having Russian aircraft for breakfast.”
An image of a man dressed as a pilot, sitting in a cockpit and giving a thumbs up to the camera is shown at the end of the footage.
The same picture was shared by Ukraine’s former president Petro Poroshenko, who said: “In the photo is the MiG-29 pilot. The same ‘Ghost of Kyiv’.
“It terrifies enemies and makes Ukrainians proud. He has 6 victories over Russian pilots! With such powerful defenders, Ukraine will definitely win!”
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence also tweeted an image of a MiG-29 as part of a posting reporting that retired pilots were returning to the country’s air force.
They said: “Who knows, maybe one of them is the air avenger on the MiG-29, which is so often seen by Kyivites!”
It comes as Russian tyrant Putin has put his nuclear forces on high alert just after warning the West "may face the greatest consequences in history".
He is said to be "furious" that his troops have not been able to subdue the Ukrainians and blamed the West's sanctions for the move.
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The move means Putin has ordered the world's largest stockpile of nuclear warheads prepared for launched readiness.
Ahead of his invasion of Ukraine, Putin chillingly warned Russia is "today one of the most powerful nuclear powers".
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