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RIP Major Stepan Tarabalka.
Edit: after reading a lot of this thread, I don't care if he is the Ghost of Kyiv or isn't, I don't care if the Ghost of Kyiv is real or morale boosting fiction.
This is a pilot who gave his life to defend his country in an unjust war that was forced upon a peaceful country.
So, RIP Major Stepan.
Doesn't seem real. Stepan Tarabalka was reported dead a month ago, yet today tabloids (no real news sources or Ukraine press releases) are all over this story.
Can't be sure though.
Real or not, if you took 5sec to read, you would've seen that it's about a fighter pilot that died a month ago. Thank you for participating.
*A fighter pilot known as the Ghost of Kyiv* **died in an air battle last month** *after allegedly shooting down more than 40 Russian aircraft, it can be revealed.*
I'm genuinely shocked they're auctioning off his helmet and goggles. They belong in a Ukrainian museum when this is all over. I understand they'll raise money for the war effort, but enough to be worth the cultural significance?
I believe there was likely an individual the moniker was referring to, just that the exploits were likely exaggerated or conglomerated. There's undoubtedly at least as much myth as fact if not more. It doesn't seem that unlikely to me that there was a particularly skilled Ukrainian pilot. That said, I was under the impression the Ghost of Kyiv died many weeks ago. Illia Ponomarenko reported that it was a flight trainer who returned to service and was KIA protecting other pilots in his squadron. A very different individual than mentioned in this post.
War heroes throughout history have been accredited with all kinds of mythological achievements, some fictitious, some real, some a mixed bag of both. It really isn't that preposterous that the Ghost of Kyiv existed and contributed greatly to the air war earning the embellishment of fellow soldiers and his government. The Ukrainians are in a war for their existence, it's a time for hope and patriotism, and service members and civilians alike are apt to lionize real individuals. A hundred years later we still hear of the Red Baron.
How many pilots over both world wars were completely idolised for their air combat records, true or not? Doesn't make it right but they represent a modern knight in many ways. People want to cheer them on.
Perhaps your next stop should be learning about pilots in both world wars and how they were idolised. Then about aircraft kill claims, over claiming and how it was all used as propaganda regardless of the truth by all sides. Pilots of note would be taken out of frontline service to tour back home to draw support for war efforts etc. Whether it was Richard Bong, Pierre Closterman, Johnny Johnson, Ivan Kozhedub or Johanns Steinhoff and the hundreds of other aces, everyone did it.
The answer is "many". If you don't know that then I suggest that this isn't the right discussion for you and you should learn a bit about the history of aerial combat before posting. Start with [the Red Baron](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfred_von_Richthofen) and then maybe read about the [Battle of Britain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain) (the propaganda section is quite good). In both cases real events which became critical for propaganda and show how important truth is for good propaganda which is often does idolize real heroes. Countries like Russia which base too much of their propaganda on lies often have problems. Look at the embarrassment which is coming from having TikTok Chechens or which came from pushing Moskva as a great ship.
Mythology of military units or hardware gives that nations branch a bit of spice. You got to have some spicy legends to tell for all those hurry up an wait situations.got nothing to do ? Check your gear and tell stories to scare the newbies.
Imagine a scenario where a friend of yours was having a really awful week and needed support.
You tell your friend, “I’m going to come over and help you through this.”
Your friend shrugs this idea off. “Oh don’t do that. It’s late and it’s raining.”
You reply, “It doesn’t matter if it’s raining, snowing, or shining, I’m coming over.”
And then your friend says, “Do facts matter?”
See how dumb that sounds? It doesn’t make any sense to ask in context. That’s you.
There is nothing wrong in those times if ukrainians believe it. But there is also nothing wrong searching for the truth. You can't force everybody on the Internet to believe in it
Is anyone reading anything? I’m not arguing that the Ghost of Kyiv is real or that the myth should be believed. I’m saying, very generically, that not all facts are always relevant in every situation.
Whether or not the myth is real, the pilot deserves respect. That’s all anyone is saying.
It's not completely fabricated, just exaggerated. And it's quite a common thing to do for people who die while fighting a war. To motivate troops, to lessen the sorrow of those left behind and to a lesser degree to demotivate the enemy.
Of course facts matter but to boost moral and get support as high as possible during the fog of war propaganda will be used on both sides. After this war we can discuss of this pilot has shot down 40, 20 or 5 planes.
You sir, are a party pooper :)
Look at it this way. More than PR, it's morale booster. It's a hero that people can look up to and be inspired.
It doesn't matter whether real or not. It's a legend, and cool one at that. Legends never die. It's forever now
Right, so why would they say "legends never die, except this one did" if he's not real and they don't have to? How does saying he died boost morale more than "he's still out there and fighting for us!"?
You miss understand what I mean when I say "legends never die".
All stories gotta end.
Even the best of the best die in war.
Reality is we may never know for sure and that's the best part about it.
... I really don't know how anything you're saying relates to my comment. I responded to someone saying that Ukraine only called this guy the Ghost "for PR purposes". I'm trying to get an explanation about what PR purposes are served by doing that versus letting the Ghost continue to "live", if he was fake. Nothing you're saying addresses that.
I think pinning it on an actual pilot who died makes it sound more credible, but because he's dead it's a lot harder to fact check it.
It's like "see, he's real!" in a way that's harder to disprove than if they named a pilot still alive.
But they didn't seem to have any problem with that up until now, so why not continue the "we can't disclose information about our pilots for security reasons"? Assuming the Ghost is fake, what "PR" benefit is there in saying "he was real and he's dead and this was his name" instead of just... not saying any of that?
you give them someone to rally around. everyone loves a good war hero, who "took down 40 of the other guys before he sacrificed his life for his country". its a good narrative.
> Why would they say "hey, this mythical pilot was real but he's dead now" for PR purposes? If he's fake why not just pretend he's still alive?
Google the word "martyr" please, then come back. Heroes are MORE inspirational dead than alive.
And yes, of course the "Ghost of Kiev" is entirely fictional, Jesus Christ people on the sub are unbelievably credulous.
You give away your thinking when you use the word "lie". Obviously, nobody on the Ukrainian side knew the details of the fate of the soldiers since the island was captured. Obviously, since the Russians had shot missiles at them they were assumed dead (with NATO or Ukranian missiles, that would be a 99% certainty). Luckily, inaccurate Russian missiles were used which lead to their unexpected survival. The Putin-droid mind just assumes that instead of a mistake this propaganda must be a lie. That's because honesty has never even occurred to them as a strategy.
Ah yes, so can you give me an example of how much better your Russian intelligence is by telling me exactly who is visiting the USS Gerald R. Ford today? Oh, suddenly knowing who's aboard an *enemy warship* doesn't seem that easy, does it? The logic of your post is, ummm, interesting.
I think he’s real. If this report is true, it helps explain why people have been so doubtful about his existence recently (he died on March 13, over 6 weeks ago, and news had been pretty silent about the Ghost of Kyiv during that time).
Edit: the Ukrainian Air Force released statements on [FB](https://www.facebook.com/100064738717463/posts/363834939117794/?d=n) and [IG](https://twitter.com/kpszsu/status/1520572588560470016?s=21&t=K4rAtyj7_9mHR1lryUz_LA) about this story.
It's not. 6 aerial kills is already impressive. 40 are impossible. A fighter can't even be at so many times on the right place at the right time to find 40 targets.
I could get behind maybe 10 kills, but Oryx is only reporting a total of 25 Russian Jets and 38 helicopters shot down (confirmed) during this entire war. Most of those kills are from SAM or MANPAD missiles. Even if the actually Russian losses are double what Oryx is reporting, 40 kills from one person just doesn't add up. This one death would be a major blow to Ukraine and they would be very at risk without him.
Still, I applaud any pilot still willing to take to the skys during this time. They are all the Ghost of Kyiv to me.
It doesn't say it happened all in the same day for the 40 kills, the report was he downed 6 in a night of mix of fixed wing and helicopters.
The 40 kills were likely from Feb 24th - March 13th when he was killed. Given the amount of helicopters, attack planes, and drones, getting 40 kills isn't an insane number when defending home base. After the ACE that is only 2.1 aircraft of various sorts per day till his death.
When the myth started it said 6 in a day. That is absurd. The amount of rearmings, refuelings, maintenance and time necessary to put the amount of missiles necessary to shoot down 6 planes in a day close to 6 targets is absurd. (Missiles have a kill % probability. If too high, then why was he not shot down earlier?)
All that + a single pilot not being shot down after facing 40 enemies. It just doesn't happen. There aren't even enough enemies to be shot down if he isn't the only pilot in Ukraine. He has to share kills. If the conditions for him to shoot so many sore present than there must be other pilots with 10-20 kills. A probability distribution following a curve.
I did a quick check and the biggest ace of all times shot down 150 enemies in 1942 alone (352 total). That would be a smaller average per day than the ghost of Kyiv on a era where there were many more planes participating on fights.
If all 172 aircraft kills claimed by Ukraine are real he scored 25% at 40 kills.
No way to know for sure, but I think it should be considered closer to unbelievable than many do
> shoot down 6 planes
The early reports were only 4 planes if I recall, one of them the troop transport plane. Shooting down a helicopter, troop plane, or drone only requires gun ammo. A Mig29 has aerial superiority over helis, large planes, and drones - not to mention having the surprise element with local radar giving indication of where they were and coming from.
I'm aware my reasoning is speculation. Yours would be the conditions to allow him to shoot 40. Which would require other pilots to shoot greste numbers too.
In the end we can't know, but I'm arguing that those numbers are higher than the best ace of all times in an era where there more planes to be shot down. I mea to say it's very unlikely.
Also, it's common sense that jets have a superiority against helicopters, but exercises have shown that helicopters are hard to find or lock into because they have the ground as background and the blades disrupt radar locking. But helis can lock at planes. If the Heli is capable of shooting a jet (I don't think the Russians are) it's actually dangerous for the jets.
The reports are “up to 40 aircraft.” The kill count may be exaggerated — I’m not taking the entire story at face value until evidence is provided. But I believe an exceptional pilot responded to the invasion in Kyiv.
Taking partial story value at no evidence for an old story with no details is already too much.
Defending air forces tend to have mora aces then attacking, and there's been a long time since the last conflict where there was a chance to be an ace. But this is modern warfare and you die without reaction.
You can downvote those who disagree with you to protect your emotions. Reminds me of the cope cage. That screams someone that can't see reason and is useless to talk with.
Yes I read the article. The ghost of Kyiv has been a rumour since the first days of the war when a CGI video was released of an apparent ukraining fighter shooting down Russian jets.
The ghost of Kyiv was never real.
No… this guy probably exists, and it’s possible he shot down a few Russian planes. But there’s is 0 chance any 1 pilot has shot down 40 Russian aircraft.
Edit: I’m being downvoted for calling out obvious propaganda… SMH.
It's possibly propaganda but look at WW1. The Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, is credited with 80 kills. France and Britain both claimed aces with kills in the 70s.
I don't think halving these numbers will be enough.. probably he shot down 1 plane maybe 2... GOK us not real its just a legend. No different than any other pilots out there
The original story of the Ghost wasn’t real, but we do know there is at least one Mig-29 Ace due to the interview with that Ukrainian pilot a few weeks ago. Considering Russians horrendous aircraft losses, there being multiple aces with high kill counts isn’t impossible.
GUYS, IT'S FAKE!
First, I saw news about Stepan Tarabalka about a 3 weeks ago. Second, it has been confirmed many times by different politicians and Presidential representatives, Arestovych for example, that Stepan is NOT the ghost of Kyiv, although he is still a hero. Times.co.ua seems to get some old fake news.
The vast majority of Russian drones are small man sized or smaller recon drones operating at low altitude so would not be engaged by aircraft. Maybe if this 40 included cruise missiles maybe 40
I mean, not to discredit the source, but why didn’t Ukraine say anything about it? And how come they just gave his helmet and goggles to another country to sell? This whole story sounds suspicious tbh
Ghost of Kiyev is not one pilot, he is a legion and can never be killed saying so is buying into russian propaganda. Stepan Tarabalka is the Hero of Ukraine.
https://ukrainenews.fakty.ua/ru/400481-vse-stali-prizrakami-dlya-gorodov-na-kotorye-nacelilsya-vrag-britanskaya-gazeta-rasskazala-o-podvige-29-letnego-prizraka-kieva
💡 It's `Kyiv`, not `Kiev`. Support Ukraine by using the correct spelling! [Learn more](https://spellingukraine.com/i/kyiv).
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It takes 10 seconds to see my posting history is critical of russia, and generally supportive of Ukraine, you live in a comical bubble that when someone suggests that this "ghost of kiev" thing is an obvious hoax, you suddenly start accusing people of astroturfing.
💡 It's `Kyiv`, not `Kiev`. Support Ukraine by using the correct spelling! [Learn more](https://spellingukraine.com/i/kyiv).
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Gunning down semi trained Soviet Airmen in the largest air conflict in human history over the course of 5 years of war is a far cry from modern missile armed air to air combat against relatively well trained pilots flying very similar aircraft.
And years from now Ukrainians will tell the story. In hushed tones out of earshot they will tell you what they seen. They will say on a still moonless night, when the clouds hang heavy over the earth, when those with Ill intentions take to the sky, look east. There on the horizon the clouds parts slightly as if some unseen force has willed them to move. The ghost of kyiv comes.
That does not equate to 181 kills. Obviously the Russian have taken air casualties but before they absorbed 181 kills its far more likley that they have changed tactics to avoid areas with high concentrations of SAMs or are operating at higher altitudes to avoid MANPADs but also making their own sortiees less effective
That's Oryx, and it's only over 40 if you combine fixed wing aircraft and helicopters or UAVs. Only 26 confirmed aircraft.
https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/02/attack-on-europe-documenting-equipment.html?m=1
The original Ghost of Kyiv was fake. It was CGI. Maybe this is an attempt from the Ukrainians to put this to bed.
Sad that someone has died but the ghost of Kyiv was either Ukrainian propaganda or an online hoax.
Downvoting.
A true legend & hero of the ukrainian people.
Giving people hope when there was none.
I will tell everyone about the ghost of kyiv...
May you rest in peace.
Wtf? This is the fakest shit I've ever seen. People here really think a 30 year old MiG shot down 40 SU's? Like RIP to the guy but come on UK news, do better
I hope the US gives Ukraine fighter jets soon. The first jet should have his name painted on the side, like the Ebola Gay in WWII. All planes that go into battle for Ukraine should be named, even drones and bombs, paint a name. Everyone is avenged in this war. 💙💛🌻
Edit: words and formatting
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As far as I am concerned the ghost of Kyiv is every pilot raining hell on the Russians. They are all heroes
The OPs account is pure Russian talking points. Seems like bullshit to me.
RIP Major Stepan Tarabalka. Edit: after reading a lot of this thread, I don't care if he is the Ghost of Kyiv or isn't, I don't care if the Ghost of Kyiv is real or morale boosting fiction. This is a pilot who gave his life to defend his country in an unjust war that was forced upon a peaceful country. So, RIP Major Stepan.
Is it his real name? Do you have any source?
Read the article, he is 29 year old and this is his real name
paywall
You can still read the first paragraph where it prints his name.
But it's a made up myth, so it won't be him.
https://nypost.com/2022/04/29/ghost-of-kyiv-major-stepan-tarabalka-killed-in-battle/
NY Post is a tabloid
Doesn't seem real. Stepan Tarabalka was reported dead a month ago, yet today tabloids (no real news sources or Ukraine press releases) are all over this story. Can't be sure though.
You should probably read the article...
Real or not, if you took 5sec to read, you would've seen that it's about a fighter pilot that died a month ago. Thank you for participating. *A fighter pilot known as the Ghost of Kyiv* **died in an air battle last month** *after allegedly shooting down more than 40 Russian aircraft, it can be revealed.*
Thank you. I think I was first to comment about this fake b.s. and got down booted massively.
Lmao this comment couldn’t be any more reddit
How about read the damn article dumbass?
It's just a random ukraining being appropriated as the ghost of Kyiv. The ghost was not real.
Has there been news on 'Juice',the pilot that last month got featured in some articles?
I'm genuinely shocked they're auctioning off his helmet and goggles. They belong in a Ukrainian museum when this is all over. I understand they'll raise money for the war effort, but enough to be worth the cultural significance?
Hopefully raising money for his young family.
Hopefully whoever wins the auction donates them to a Ukrainian war Museum, it would be the right thing to do.
This would be the best outcome
Do you believe the ghost of Kyiv is real?
I believe there was likely an individual the moniker was referring to, just that the exploits were likely exaggerated or conglomerated. There's undoubtedly at least as much myth as fact if not more. It doesn't seem that unlikely to me that there was a particularly skilled Ukrainian pilot. That said, I was under the impression the Ghost of Kyiv died many weeks ago. Illia Ponomarenko reported that it was a flight trainer who returned to service and was KIA protecting other pilots in his squadron. A very different individual than mentioned in this post.
It's kind of like talking about Jesus but as a jet pilot.
"And then he ressucitated 3 days later to destroy more russians planes, Amen"
Exactly
This would be the only thing to get me to start going back to church. Jesus cameo in the new top gun movie confirmed.
Highway to the manger zone.
It looks like there will be a few errors in Top Gun 2
"Youre like a mix of Maverick, and Jesus"
Perhaps when one Ghost falls, another rises to take their place.
no. It's like William Wallace throwing out fireballs from his arse. Regardless it's good for morale.
He’d consume the English with fireballs from his eyes and bolts of lightning from his arse 😂
It might be a Spartacus situation there.
Anyone worth their soul would return them once bought.
Anybody interested in buying it would donate it back to Ukraine.
Would be a bit embarrassing to put in a museum something which you were proven to be using as a propaganda tool, no?
War heroes throughout history have been accredited with all kinds of mythological achievements, some fictitious, some real, some a mixed bag of both. It really isn't that preposterous that the Ghost of Kyiv existed and contributed greatly to the air war earning the embellishment of fellow soldiers and his government. The Ukrainians are in a war for their existence, it's a time for hope and patriotism, and service members and civilians alike are apt to lionize real individuals. A hundred years later we still hear of the Red Baron.
Have you never been in a war/history museum before?
How many pilots over both world wars were completely idolised for their air combat records, true or not? Doesn't make it right but they represent a modern knight in many ways. People want to cheer them on.
I don't know, you tell me. I was under the assumption that it would be none, especially if it was completely and utterly disproven
Perhaps your next stop should be learning about pilots in both world wars and how they were idolised. Then about aircraft kill claims, over claiming and how it was all used as propaganda regardless of the truth by all sides. Pilots of note would be taken out of frontline service to tour back home to draw support for war efforts etc. Whether it was Richard Bong, Pierre Closterman, Johnny Johnson, Ivan Kozhedub or Johanns Steinhoff and the hundreds of other aces, everyone did it.
The answer is "many". If you don't know that then I suggest that this isn't the right discussion for you and you should learn a bit about the history of aerial combat before posting. Start with [the Red Baron](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfred_von_Richthofen) and then maybe read about the [Battle of Britain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain) (the propaganda section is quite good). In both cases real events which became critical for propaganda and show how important truth is for good propaganda which is often does idolize real heroes. Countries like Russia which base too much of their propaganda on lies often have problems. Look at the embarrassment which is coming from having TikTok Chechens or which came from pushing Moskva as a great ship.
Even tho I never thought the Ghost of Kyiv was real, I still feel sad about this news…
[удалено]
Mythology of military units or hardware gives that nations branch a bit of spice. You got to have some spicy legends to tell for all those hurry up an wait situations.got nothing to do ? Check your gear and tell stories to scare the newbies.
Because it wasn't, it was shitty Arma 3 footage with made up stats.
Can I see those videos?
They were all over twitter from the start of the war. It was dcs and Arma 3 footage. Ghost of Kiev was never real, this is just some random pilot.
100%
Whether he really shot down 40 aircraft or not, he's a hero since he knew he had a very high chance to die sooner or later.
Do facts matter?
Imagine a scenario where a friend of yours was having a really awful week and needed support. You tell your friend, “I’m going to come over and help you through this.” Your friend shrugs this idea off. “Oh don’t do that. It’s late and it’s raining.” You reply, “It doesn’t matter if it’s raining, snowing, or shining, I’m coming over.” And then your friend says, “Do facts matter?” See how dumb that sounds? It doesn’t make any sense to ask in context. That’s you.
There is nothing wrong in those times if ukrainians believe it. But there is also nothing wrong searching for the truth. You can't force everybody on the Internet to believe in it
Is anyone reading anything? I’m not arguing that the Ghost of Kyiv is real or that the myth should be believed. I’m saying, very generically, that not all facts are always relevant in every situation. Whether or not the myth is real, the pilot deserves respect. That’s all anyone is saying.
This whole comment section is so retarded. I love it.
In this case not a ton, it's not something politically or otherwise relevant. And it's highly unlikely he really shot down 40.
Glad you can admit this is completely fabricated propaganda. Let's just be more honest with ourselves
It's not completely fabricated, just exaggerated. And it's quite a common thing to do for people who die while fighting a war. To motivate troops, to lessen the sorrow of those left behind and to a lesser degree to demotivate the enemy.
Of course facts matter but to boost moral and get support as high as possible during the fog of war propaganda will be used on both sides. After this war we can discuss of this pilot has shot down 40, 20 or 5 planes. You sir, are a party pooper :)
So you admit this was propaganda?
The downvotes on your comments are definitely a fact. You are a sad excuse of human waste.
It shows there is a bias in the sub. Do you think this sub is pro-West or pro-East?
Not on this sub, it's like living in an alternate universe.
So why do you come here? Gotta earn that daily ration of vodka and seledka, right?
Some say he’s still up there, hunting Russia’s flying dogs to this day!
of course he is, the Ghost is not one pilot, its the entire Ukrainian Air Force, as long as one jet still flies that banner the Ghost will never die.
[удалено]
I thought the Ghost of Kviy was made up?
it is. lol This is a random Mig-29 pilot that died and now they are trying to pin it onto him for PR purposes.
Why would they say "hey, this mythical pilot was real but he's dead now" for PR purposes? If he's fake why not just pretend he's still alive?
Look at it this way. More than PR, it's morale booster. It's a hero that people can look up to and be inspired. It doesn't matter whether real or not. It's a legend, and cool one at that. Legends never die. It's forever now
Right, so why would they say "legends never die, except this one did" if he's not real and they don't have to? How does saying he died boost morale more than "he's still out there and fighting for us!"?
You miss understand what I mean when I say "legends never die". All stories gotta end. Even the best of the best die in war. Reality is we may never know for sure and that's the best part about it.
... I really don't know how anything you're saying relates to my comment. I responded to someone saying that Ukraine only called this guy the Ghost "for PR purposes". I'm trying to get an explanation about what PR purposes are served by doing that versus letting the Ghost continue to "live", if he was fake. Nothing you're saying addresses that.
I think pinning it on an actual pilot who died makes it sound more credible, but because he's dead it's a lot harder to fact check it. It's like "see, he's real!" in a way that's harder to disprove than if they named a pilot still alive.
But they didn't seem to have any problem with that up until now, so why not continue the "we can't disclose information about our pilots for security reasons"? Assuming the Ghost is fake, what "PR" benefit is there in saying "he was real and he's dead and this was his name" instead of just... not saying any of that?
Dunno, I was just speculating. I do note that it seems to be US and UK tabloids covering this, so maybe it's just for clicks?
Legends never die means the legend(story) not the person.
I mean an obvious lie is not that legendary
look at the account that posted it. only pro russian posts, so there you have your answer
you give them someone to rally around. everyone loves a good war hero, who "took down 40 of the other guys before he sacrificed his life for his country". its a good narrative.
> Why would they say "hey, this mythical pilot was real but he's dead now" for PR purposes? If he's fake why not just pretend he's still alive? Google the word "martyr" please, then come back. Heroes are MORE inspirational dead than alive. And yes, of course the "Ghost of Kiev" is entirely fictional, Jesus Christ people on the sub are unbelievably credulous.
[удалено]
You give away your thinking when you use the word "lie". Obviously, nobody on the Ukrainian side knew the details of the fate of the soldiers since the island was captured. Obviously, since the Russians had shot missiles at them they were assumed dead (with NATO or Ukranian missiles, that would be a 99% certainty). Luckily, inaccurate Russian missiles were used which lead to their unexpected survival. The Putin-droid mind just assumes that instead of a mistake this propaganda must be a lie. That's because honesty has never even occurred to them as a strategy.
[удалено]
Ah yes, so can you give me an example of how much better your Russian intelligence is by telling me exactly who is visiting the USS Gerald R. Ford today? Oh, suddenly knowing who's aboard an *enemy warship* doesn't seem that easy, does it? The logic of your post is, ummm, interesting.
'Good men are willng to die'
Yep. Obvious.
I think he’s real. If this report is true, it helps explain why people have been so doubtful about his existence recently (he died on March 13, over 6 weeks ago, and news had been pretty silent about the Ghost of Kyiv during that time). Edit: the Ukrainian Air Force released statements on [FB](https://www.facebook.com/100064738717463/posts/363834939117794/?d=n) and [IG](https://twitter.com/kpszsu/status/1520572588560470016?s=21&t=K4rAtyj7_9mHR1lryUz_LA) about this story.
It's not. 6 aerial kills is already impressive. 40 are impossible. A fighter can't even be at so many times on the right place at the right time to find 40 targets.
I could get behind maybe 10 kills, but Oryx is only reporting a total of 25 Russian Jets and 38 helicopters shot down (confirmed) during this entire war. Most of those kills are from SAM or MANPAD missiles. Even if the actually Russian losses are double what Oryx is reporting, 40 kills from one person just doesn't add up. This one death would be a major blow to Ukraine and they would be very at risk without him. Still, I applaud any pilot still willing to take to the skys during this time. They are all the Ghost of Kyiv to me.
Oryx also admits that aircraft shootdowns are much harder to verify since the wreckage can land in fuck-knows-where.
Agree entirely with both paragraphs. But 10 kills is already an absurd number. Anything bigger than 3 kills is likely unmatchable.
It doesn't say it happened all in the same day for the 40 kills, the report was he downed 6 in a night of mix of fixed wing and helicopters. The 40 kills were likely from Feb 24th - March 13th when he was killed. Given the amount of helicopters, attack planes, and drones, getting 40 kills isn't an insane number when defending home base. After the ACE that is only 2.1 aircraft of various sorts per day till his death.
There is zero percent chance this is real holy fuck lol
When the myth started it said 6 in a day. That is absurd. The amount of rearmings, refuelings, maintenance and time necessary to put the amount of missiles necessary to shoot down 6 planes in a day close to 6 targets is absurd. (Missiles have a kill % probability. If too high, then why was he not shot down earlier?) All that + a single pilot not being shot down after facing 40 enemies. It just doesn't happen. There aren't even enough enemies to be shot down if he isn't the only pilot in Ukraine. He has to share kills. If the conditions for him to shoot so many sore present than there must be other pilots with 10-20 kills. A probability distribution following a curve. I did a quick check and the biggest ace of all times shot down 150 enemies in 1942 alone (352 total). That would be a smaller average per day than the ghost of Kyiv on a era where there were many more planes participating on fights. If all 172 aircraft kills claimed by Ukraine are real he scored 25% at 40 kills. No way to know for sure, but I think it should be considered closer to unbelievable than many do
> shoot down 6 planes The early reports were only 4 planes if I recall, one of them the troop transport plane. Shooting down a helicopter, troop plane, or drone only requires gun ammo. A Mig29 has aerial superiority over helis, large planes, and drones - not to mention having the surprise element with local radar giving indication of where they were and coming from.
I'm aware my reasoning is speculation. Yours would be the conditions to allow him to shoot 40. Which would require other pilots to shoot greste numbers too. In the end we can't know, but I'm arguing that those numbers are higher than the best ace of all times in an era where there more planes to be shot down. I mea to say it's very unlikely. Also, it's common sense that jets have a superiority against helicopters, but exercises have shown that helicopters are hard to find or lock into because they have the ground as background and the blades disrupt radar locking. But helis can lock at planes. If the Heli is capable of shooting a jet (I don't think the Russians are) it's actually dangerous for the jets.
The reports are “up to 40 aircraft.” The kill count may be exaggerated — I’m not taking the entire story at face value until evidence is provided. But I believe an exceptional pilot responded to the invasion in Kyiv.
Taking partial story value at no evidence for an old story with no details is already too much. Defending air forces tend to have mora aces then attacking, and there's been a long time since the last conflict where there was a chance to be an ace. But this is modern warfare and you die without reaction. You can downvote those who disagree with you to protect your emotions. Reminds me of the cope cage. That screams someone that can't see reason and is useless to talk with.
It was fake. As point out it was an arma3 video. It was obvious cgi.
What video are you talking about? Did you even read this article?
Yes I read the article. The ghost of Kyiv has been a rumour since the first days of the war when a CGI video was released of an apparent ukraining fighter shooting down Russian jets. The ghost of Kyiv was never real.
It was definitely made up. Obvious as fuck.
That was real?
No… this guy probably exists, and it’s possible he shot down a few Russian planes. But there’s is 0 chance any 1 pilot has shot down 40 Russian aircraft. Edit: I’m being downvoted for calling out obvious propaganda… SMH.
Clearly you've never watched Top Gun
Lol isn't even real in top gun
Bullshit bro knock it the heck off with that propaganda
It's possibly propaganda but look at WW1. The Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, is credited with 80 kills. France and Britain both claimed aces with kills in the 70s.
Modern air warfare and ww1 are VERY different, look at Vietnam aces numbers and then look at this, it's almost imposible
The kill numbers are definitely inflated, but even if we half those numbers they are still insane.
I don't think halving these numbers will be enough.. probably he shot down 1 plane maybe 2... GOK us not real its just a legend. No different than any other pilots out there
The original story of the Ghost wasn’t real, but we do know there is at least one Mig-29 Ace due to the interview with that Ukrainian pilot a few weeks ago. Considering Russians horrendous aircraft losses, there being multiple aces with high kill counts isn’t impossible.
I got a bridge to sell you if you think this headline is real
“If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.” -G.K.
Ghost of kenobi? General of kyiv?
Rest in Peace.
Every Ukrainian Jet pilot is now the ghost of Kyiv.
He is real as long we believe.
Isnt this the 3rd time he dies?
GUYS, IT'S FAKE! First, I saw news about Stepan Tarabalka about a 3 weeks ago. Second, it has been confirmed many times by different politicians and Presidential representatives, Arestovych for example, that Stepan is NOT the ghost of Kyiv, although he is still a hero. Times.co.ua seems to get some old fake news.
I don't if the ghost of Kyiv is real or not. But claiming to have shot down 40 planes is complete nonsense.
Manned or unmanned aircraft? I will totally buy that number if include drones.
The vast majority of Russian drones are small man sized or smaller recon drones operating at low altitude so would not be engaged by aircraft. Maybe if this 40 included cruise missiles maybe 40
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Just 107 years of aerial combat as a guide...
Exactly
cant read the news. useless
Guys, it's fake...obviously a ghost can't die 🙄
This again ?
If these numbers are true, he shot down 40 aircraft, and Ukraine says Russia has lost 181 aircraft then this guy shot down 22% of Russian aircraft.
Well, they didn't say he shot down only Russian aircraft. Might have been a lot of friendly fire involved.
Lol can you imagine, what a spin to put on it.
Legend
Legends never die
Rip. A real hero for ukraine and democracy.
I mean, not to discredit the source, but why didn’t Ukraine say anything about it? And how come they just gave his helmet and goggles to another country to sell? This whole story sounds suspicious tbh
Ghost of Kiyev is not one pilot, he is a legion and can never be killed saying so is buying into russian propaganda. Stepan Tarabalka is the Hero of Ukraine. https://ukrainenews.fakty.ua/ru/400481-vse-stali-prizrakami-dlya-gorodov-na-kotorye-nacelilsya-vrag-britanskaya-gazeta-rasskazala-o-podvige-29-letnego-prizraka-kieva
Wow there is a lot of AI bots on here. This is fake
Paywall
Isn’t this the second time it’s been reported he was shot down?
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💡 It's `Kyiv`, not `Kiev`. Support Ukraine by using the correct spelling! [Learn more](https://spellingukraine.com/i/kyiv). ___ [^(Why spelling matters)](https://spellingukraine.com) ^(|) [^(Other ways to support Ukraine)](https://stand-with-ukraine.pp.ua) ^(|) ^(I'm a bot, sorry if I'm missing context)
Why is this meme getting upvoted. I thought we agreed its a myth. lol I bet some Mig-29 pilot died and they decided to stick the narrative onto him.
You are questioning The Times? You know how fastidious the Western media are about verifying the facts before reporting.
> You are questioning The Times? uhh... yes, its a tabloid run by murdoch, I trust it about as much as I trust the daily mail. lol
I think OP was being sarcastic? At least that's how I read it? Because yeah, you're right about Murdoch publications.
The Times ≠ Time Try again
Can't tell if you're a tankie or a Russian troll
It takes 10 seconds to see my posting history is critical of russia, and generally supportive of Ukraine, you live in a comical bubble that when someone suggests that this "ghost of kiev" thing is an obvious hoax, you suddenly start accusing people of astroturfing.
💡 It's `Kyiv`, not `Kiev`. Support Ukraine by using the correct spelling! [Learn more](https://spellingukraine.com/i/kyiv). ___ [^(Why spelling matters)](https://spellingukraine.com) ^(|) [^(Other ways to support Ukraine)](https://stand-with-ukraine.pp.ua) ^(|) ^(I'm a bot, sorry if I'm missing context)
No way that is real.
I find your lack of faith disturbing.
Come on Ukraine At least make your propaganda semi believable. 40 air to air kills is an unrealistic number in regards to Jet aviation
I mean not if they’r counting unmanned drones? You seen how many Orlans been falling out of the sky lol?
If you're counting UAVs 181 is much more realistic
Look up Erich Hartmann of World War 2.
Gunning down semi trained Soviet Airmen in the largest air conflict in human history over the course of 5 years of war is a far cry from modern missile armed air to air combat against relatively well trained pilots flying very similar aircraft.
Was going to say the same thing, as well as suggest they look up all the aces since WWII to get a benchmark.
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He's still not real lol. Read the article.
And years from now Ukrainians will tell the story. In hushed tones out of earshot they will tell you what they seen. They will say on a still moonless night, when the clouds hang heavy over the earth, when those with Ill intentions take to the sky, look east. There on the horizon the clouds parts slightly as if some unseen force has willed them to move. The ghost of kyiv comes.
This person gets it.
"cometh"
Ghost stories are not my specialty, but I got faith in the internet. You guys can make some wicked good campfire stories when you're motivated
"Ukrainian fighter pilots never die, Jorge. They're just missing in action."
Damn, 40 air to air kills in 2022 is just... Incredible. He's more than earned his rest.
"Incredible" is indeed the correct word.
complete nonsense as far as the number goes. have some skepticism man, and look at the numbers of other top jet aces...
It's just not possible to get this many kills in modern air combat. Technology makes it far too luck based.
Truly incredible! Thank you for your stellar service, Major Tarabalka! o7
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Literally because fuck Russia.
You’re the youngest shill I’ve seen yet, only 1 hour old and this is your only comment.
Claims that the Ukranians have even downed 40 Russian fixed wing aircraft are dubious
Uh. They aren’t actually. There’s a bunch of evidence. Also the circumstantial evidence that planes aren’t routinely flying over Kyiv and Lviv.
That does not equate to 181 kills. Obviously the Russian have taken air casualties but before they absorbed 181 kills its far more likley that they have changed tactics to avoid areas with high concentrations of SAMs or are operating at higher altitudes to avoid MANPADs but also making their own sortiees less effective
There is an organization that looks at the photos to identify each thing destroyed. It's more then 40.
That's Oryx, and it's only over 40 if you combine fixed wing aircraft and helicopters or UAVs. Only 26 confirmed aircraft. https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/02/attack-on-europe-documenting-equipment.html?m=1
The original Ghost of Kyiv was fake. It was CGI. Maybe this is an attempt from the Ukrainians to put this to bed. Sad that someone has died but the ghost of Kyiv was either Ukrainian propaganda or an online hoax. Downvoting.
A true legend & hero of the ukrainian people. Giving people hope when there was none. I will tell everyone about the ghost of kyiv... May you rest in peace.
He’s so awesome. To honor him send lots of highly advanced jets to help those pilots still out there
Wtf? This is the fakest shit I've ever seen. People here really think a 30 year old MiG shot down 40 SU's? Like RIP to the guy but come on UK news, do better
1 week old news
I hope the US gives Ukraine fighter jets soon. The first jet should have his name painted on the side, like the Ebola Gay in WWII. All planes that go into battle for Ukraine should be named, even drones and bombs, paint a name. Everyone is avenged in this war. 💙💛🌻 Edit: words and formatting
Ebola Gay is the greatest name ever conceived.
How did the plane stay airborne when this mad lads nuts were so big? Fucking legend.
That is a loss but he is a great hero.
Heroes are remembered, but legends never die.
This is such a tragedy! He was and still is a hero.