GHOST OF KYIV REVEALED! Hero fighter pilot died defending Ukraine

The mysterious ace fighter pilot who went viral at the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine heroically died in battle last month after allegedly shooting down more than 40 Russian aircraft, say emerging reports.

Major Stepan Tarabalka, 29, was killed when his MiG-29 was shot down on Mar. 13 while fighting “overwhelming” enemy forces, according to The Times of London. He was posthumously awarded Ukraine’s top medal for bravery in combat, the Order of the Golden Star, and given the title Hero of Ukraine.

He became famous overnight when the Ukrainian government credited him with shooting down six Russian fighter planes on the first day of the invasion.

“People call him the Ghost of Kyiv. And rightly so — this UAF [Ukrainian Air Force] ace dominates the skies over our capital and country, and has already become a nightmare for invading Russian aircraft,” they said in their tweet.

The Ghost of Kyiv became a rallying point for the defending Ukrainians, who hailed the pilot as a “hero” and “guardian angel.”

Skeptics cast doubt on his existence, speculating that he was a myth cooked up by the government to boost morale.

Tarabalka was born in a small village in western Ukraine to a working-class family. He graduated from Kharkiv National University of the Air Force.

His parents were interviewed by NPR shortly after his death, when his famous status was still a secret.

“He would always watch the paratroopers in their air exercises. And he would run in their direction to try to see where they landed. Since early childhood, he always dreamed of the sky, about flying higher than the clouds,” Nahtalia Tarabalka, his mother, said via a translator.

She added that after he graduated from flight school, he would fly over the village in his MiG-29 as often as he could.

The heroic pilot’s helmet and goggles are expected to go on sale at auction in London soon, sources told The Times.