Ukraine mourns loss of "Juice," ace fighter pilot who helped secure F-16 jets amid war with Russia

Hundreds of Ukrainians gathered for the funeral of celebrated fighter pilot Andriy "Juice" Pilshchykov on Tuesday, who was killed in an air disaster while training last week.

The 30-year-old pilot was integral to lobbying Western governments for F-16 fighter jets, before any were ever granted, amid the Russia-Ukraine war.

Following the ceremony, Pilshchykov's mother, Lilia Averianova, requested the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force to promise to take her on the first F-16 flight in Ukraine, in honour of her son.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid his respects to Pilshchykov on Saturday, the day after his death. He referred to "Juice" as an officer "who greatly helped our state."

Last Friday, three Ukrainian Air Force pilots, including Pilshchykov, were killed in an accident, when two L-39 combat training aircraft collided over a region west of Kyiv.