Ukrainian pilot 'Juice' among three killed in mid-air collision, says Zelensky

One of Ukraine's most celebrated fighter pilots has been killed in a mid-air collision, along with two other airmen.

Major Andrii Pilshchykov, nicknamed "Juice",  won fame for taking part in dogfights over Kyiv during the early phase of Russia's invasion.

Authorities say the crash involved two Aero L-39 Albatros training jets flying over northern Ukraine on Friday.

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President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the deaths in his nightly video address on Saturday (August 26), saying that his country would "never forget anyone who defended the free skies of Ukraine".

The Ukrainian military called the airmen's deaths "painful and irreparable" losses, and paid tribute to Pilshchykov as a pilot with "mega knowledge and mega talent".

An investigation is under way into the crash in Zhytomyr Oblast, which is to the west of the capital, Kyiv, and hundreds of miles from the frontline.

The other two pilots have been named by the Vasylkiv Tactical Aviation Brigade as Major Vyacheslav Minka and Major Sergey Prokazin.

The mid-air collision is a major upset for Ukraine as it prepares to receive up to 61 F-16 fighter jets from its allies and the Pentagon has confirmed several Ukrainian pilots will start flight training in October.