Hero Ukrainian fighter pilot who shoots Russian planes from sky dubbed the 'Ghost of Kyiv'

Stories of bravery and heroism can be vital for getting people through tough times and giving hope in times of war and hardship.

One such legend of heroism has already emerged for the defenders just two days into the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine that commenced on February 24, 2022.

Kyiv is bracing an attack as Russian forces close in on the nation’s capital, reports the Mirror.

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Russian forces claim they have secured the strategically important Hostomel airport, while images of troops on the streets of Kyiv have begun to surface.

But one hero is keeping Ukrainian spirits alive through all the grim horror - the ‘Ghost of Kyiv’.

What is the Ghost of Kyiv?

The Ghost of Kyiv is a fighter pilot who, unconfirmed reports claim, has so far shot down six Russian jets at the time of writing.

On Twitter, people have been clambering to show their support for the pilot, who has been rousing spirits and getting the world talking.

Video snippets purporting to show the Ghost have been circulating online.

One particular post has specified that the pilot has shot down a variety of Russian planes. The unconfirmed reports claim they have taken down two SU-35s, one SU-27, one MiG 29 and two SU-25s.

Pilots who shoot down five planes tend to be referred to as an ‘ace’, and so if the reports claiming the Ghost has shot down six are true, then they could be recognised as such after just a single day of combat.

Is the Ghost of Kyiv real?

At the time of writing, no evidence has confirmed that the Ghost of Kyiv is definitely real.

Ukrainian defence forces are however claiming that seven Russian fighters were downed on Thursday, February 25.

It seems unlikely that six of these seven have been destroyed by a single pilot given the size of Ukraine and the scale of the conflict, but, there is also no evidence to suggest the rumours are false.

Twitter has lit up with support for the pilot, real or not, celebrating the victory as a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dark time.

The Ukrainian ambassador to the European Union, Mykola Tochytskyi, wrote in a tweet: “One Ukrainian MiG-29 jet fighter pilot scored six victories in a single day in air battles with the Russians. He has been nicknamed the “Ghost of Kyiv”. Another example of the willingness of the Ukrainian people to resist. The civilized world must help protect our freedom!”

Whether the Ghost of Kyiv, who reportedly flies a MiG-29 fighter jet, turns out to be real or not the story has undoubtedly given the world a reminder of the bravery of the Ukrainian resistance.