Ukrainian pilot Marat Mambetov of the ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ brigade loses his life on a combat mission

Captain Marat Mambetov, a flight commander in the “Ghost of Kyiv” tactical aviation brigade of the Ukrainian Air Force, lost his life on 1 October on a combat mission, as Ukraine Brief reports.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Mambetov was flying his MiG-29 fighter jet on a mission to strike Russian positions when the aircraft was hit by a Russian missile.

The pilot ejected from the damaged aircraft but did not survive, the Ukrainian Air Force announced.

The brigade’s name refers to the legendary “Ghost of Kyiv” symbol from 2022 — the Ukrainian Air Force later clarified that it represented the collective image of Ukrainian pilots, not a single person.