RT reports on the crash of a Ukrainian Su-27UB fighter jet in Ukraine during NATO drills in Ukraine, resulting in the death of an American and Ukrainian pilot. Former US Diplomat Jim Jatras joins In Question to share his thoughts on the news as well as recent reports which allege the US and Israel sent a secret delegation to Ukraine recently, to consult the Ukrainian military on how to best evade the Russian S-300 missile defense system, which was delivered to Syria last month.
The pilot of a United States Air National Guard was killed Tuesday when the Ukranian Su-27UB fighter jet crashed in west-central Ukraine field. The accident occurred at around 5:00 PM local time on Oct. 16, 2018, near the village of Ulaniv, which is situated approximately 185 miles southwest of the Ukranian capital Kyiv. The bodies of two pilots were found: one was a pilot of the Ukrainian Air Forces, the second – a US Air Force National Guard pilot. Later, U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE)has confirmedthat a U.S. service member was involved in the incident, but has no made an official announcement as to their status. USAFE also said that mishap is already under investigation.
The Su-27UB jet was taking part in Clear Sky 2018, a joint military exercise with NATO members taking place October 8 through 19 in Western Ukraine. Clear Sky 2018 is a joint and multinational exercise that involving approximately 950 personnel from nine nations, including Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Clear Sky 18’s training is intended to increase the level of interoperability of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the Air Forces of the US and NATO, work out effective joint management of operations in the air, work out the sharing of intelligence and surveillance capabilities, as well as cyberdefense focused on the needs of the air forces.
