The “Ghost of Kyiv” was rumored to have died heroically on March 13 surrounded by Russian fighter jets.Figure: Retrieved from the Twitter of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense
The British Times revealed on April 29 that the true identity of the “Ghost of Kyiv” who allegedly shot down more than 40 Russian planes was Major Stepan Tarabalka, a Ukrainian Air Force fighter pilot. ), who was killed on March 13 and was posthumously awarded the Order of Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian Air Force Command warned in a Facebook post that “the ghost of Kyiv is a superhero character created by the Ukrainians” and urged people to check sources before spreading information.
The Ukrainian Air Force tweeted, “Incorrect news about the death of the Kiev Ghost. The Kyiv Ghost represents the collective spirit of highly qualified pilots of the Tactical Aviation Brigade who successfully defended the capital Kyiv and the region.” The Ukrainian Air Force also posted on Facebook. “The Ghost of Kyiv is a superhero legend created by the Ukrainians,” the post said.
Mikhail Zhirohov, a Ukrainian military historian, told the BBC that the ghost of Kyiv was “state propaganda to boost morale”. He said that in the early days of the war, the Russian army controlled Ukrainian airspace, so a Ukrainian pilot “could only shoot down 2 or 3 fighters”. “This kind of propaganda is crucial because our armed forces are small and A lot of people think we can’t compare to them (the Russian army). We need this in wartime.”
The BBC points out that the fact that Ukrainian pilots fly inferior, old Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighter jets (MiG-29s) to prevent Russia from taking full control of its airspace inspired the modern legend of the ghost of Kyiv. A Ukrainian military expert, who asked not to be named, told the BBC that the story of the Kyiv ghost “helps boost morale when people need simple stories”.