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How the legend of the pilot "Ghost of Kiev" was born

2022-05-01 23:40:52Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
How the legend of the pilot "Ghost of Kiev" was born
"It did not crash 40 Russian planes", the true story of the "Ghost of Kiev"

Laurence Peter – BBC News

Ukrainian fighter pilots have become legendary, in part thanks to the story of a flying "ace" called the "Ghost of Kiev".

This hero is said to have shot down up to 40 enemy planes, an incredible achievement in an arena where Russia controls the skies.

But now the Command of the Ukrainian Air Force wrote on Facebook that in fact "Ghost of Kiev" is a superhero-legend, whose character is created.

"We urge the Ukrainian community not to neglect the basic rules of information hygiene," the statement said, urging people to "check the sources of information before spreading it."

The news had identified him as Major Stepan Tarabalka, 29 years old. Authorities confirmed that he had been killed in combat on March 13 and had been awarded the "Hero of Ukraine" medal posthumously.

But now the Ukrainian air force says "Tarabalka is not the 'Ghost of Kiev' and he did not hit 40 planes." "The Ghost of Kiev" is "a collective image of the pilots of the 40th Air Force Tactical Aviation Brigade protecting the skies over the capital," the statement said.

For weeks, Ukrainians did not have a name for the "Ghost of Kiev," but that did not stop the story from going viral on social media. It was also used as a marketing brand by a legendary Ukrainian aircraft manufacturer.

Military experts told the BBC they suspected a single pilot could have shot down up to 40 Russian planes.

Ukrainian military historian Mikhail Zhirohov described the story of the Kiev Ghost as "propaganda to boost morale." Speaking to the BBC from Chernihiv, he said that at the beginning of the war the Russians dominated Ukrainian airspace, so that a Ukrainian pilot "could only shoot down 2 or 3 enemy aircraft".

"It's essential to have this propaganda, because our armed forces are smaller and many think we are not equal to them (the Russians). "We need this in time of war," he said.

The fact that Ukrainian pilots are still denying Russia full control of the skies by means of the MiG-29 designed by Russia makes such modern legends emerge.

For all its military might, Russia has tried for more than two months to bring down Ukraine's air defenses, but it has failed.

Ukrainian authorities spread the legend of the "Ghost of Kiev" just days after the war. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) showed a fighter pilot on the Telegram network with the caption "Ghost of Kiev" an "angel" for the downing of 10 Russian planes.

The SBU did not mention the name of the "angel" and media reports later said the photograph used was old.

A Ukrainian military expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the BBC that the story of the "Ghost of Kiev" "helped boost morale at a time when people needed simple stories".

At first it was the Ukrainian border guards who challenged the Russian missile cruiser with a rude gesture. They have been honored with a popular postage stamp. Ukraine then allegedly sank what was known as the pride of the Russian Black Sea Fleet with two Neptune missiles. Russia acknowledged that there was a fire on board and that the ship sank, but did not mention a missile strike.

Legends like the "Ghost of Kiev" are not made to embellish war figures. On April 30, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said Russia had lost 190 aircraft and 155 helicopters. But independent military analysts at Oryx estimate that Russia's losses are 26 aircraft and 39 helicopters, as well as 48 drones (UAVs).

Both Russia and Ukraine have hidden their losses. Counting is difficult because planes often crash into Russian-controlled territory, and some manage to land at base.

Experts agree that in most cases Russian planes were shot down by surface-to-air missiles, especially mobile air defense systems.

Justin Crump of security consultancy Sybilline says the "Kiev Ghost" legend is important because in the age of social media, "people need myths, heroes and legends to ensure cohesion and meaning."


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