Awful News
Today we sadly bid farewell to @_juicefighter_ .
— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) August 26, 2023
He was, in fact, the face of Ukraine’s Air Force in this war.
Andriy “Juice” Pilschikov of the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade and two other pilots were killed during a training mission.
I’m proud we knew each other, man. pic.twitter.com/BFGFA46AVs
A sad day today.. a well-known pilot with the call sign "Juice” and two other pilots died as a result of a collision of two Ukrainian L-39 training planes on the evening of August 25 in the Zhytomyr region. First it were rumors, now it’s confirmed.. https://t.co/wxJ1xI8v3K
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) August 26, 2023
From the article:
— Nolan Peterson (@nolanwpeterson) August 26, 2023
To the uninitiated, Juice’s upbeat, even cavalier demeanor may seem incongruous with the daily dangers he faces. The truth is, however, that humor is a purposeful defense against the astronomical levels of stress that combat pilots face in wartime. The joking,…
Today is Ukraine’s Aviation Day. We are working to receive F-16s this year to begin its new chapter.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 26, 2023
Sadly, there is also tragic news. Yesterday, a catastrophe in the sky over the Zhytomyr region killed three pilots, including Andriy Pilschikov, callsign “Juice”.
My heart goes… pic.twitter.com/DSahAg3vom
