Ghost of Kyiv

Short description: Mythical Ukrainian flying ace

Ghost of Kyiv, painting by Ukrainian illustrator Andrii Dankovych.

The Ghost of Kyiv (Ukrainian: Привид Києва, romanized: Pryvyd Kyieva,[1] uk) is the nickname given to a mythical[2][3][4] MiG-29 Fulcrum flying ace who was alleged to have shot down six Russian planes over Kyiv during the Kyiv offensive on 24 February 2022. The origin of the myth is unclear, but it was propagated widely by both Ukrainian and Western media outlets, as well as official sources such as the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine. The Ghost of Kyiv has been credited as a morale booster for Ukrainians during the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Two months after the story spread, the Ukrainian Air Force acknowledged that it was not factual, and warned people not to "neglect the basic rules of information hygiene" and to "check the sources of information, before spreading it".[2][5][6] Experts[who?] have stated that stories such as Ghost of Kyiv are part of Ukrainian propaganda or a morale-boosting campaign, or potentially both.[7][8][9]

## Contents

* 1 Background and claims
* 1.1 Story
* 1.2 Doubts
* 1.3 Clarifications
* 1.4 Representations
* 2 Legacy
* 3 See also
* 4 References
* 5 External links

## Background and claims

Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 in 2018. A similar plane was credited to the Ghost of Kyiv.

### Story

On 24 February 2022, Russia began a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in an escalation of a pre-existing war between the two countries. During the Kyiv offensive, which began on the first day of the invasion, videos on social media began widely circulating of fighter jets in Ukraine shortly after the invasion started, including claims of a pilot who took down multiple Russian jets.[10][11] The claim that a MiG-29 pilot nicknamed the "Ghost of Kyiv" who won six air fights in the skies of Kyiv appeared during the first 30 hours of the invasion.[1][12] The six planes were reported as two Su-35s, two Su-25s, an Su-27, and an enemy MiG-29.[13][14][15] If the flying ace had existed, they would have been the first recorded fighter ace of the 21st century.[16]

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence claimed that—would the shoot-downs be confirmed—the Ghost of Kyiv could be one of the dozens of experienced pilots of the military reserve who returned to the Armed Forces of Ukraine after Russia invaded.[17] In a tweet, it referred to the Ghost of Kyiv as "the air avenger".[18] However, Ukrainian commander-in-chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said he could only confirm a total of six Russian planes downed on the first day of fighting in Ukraine, though there may have been more.[12]

The image tweeted by Poroshenko, later revealed to be fighter pilot Andrii Pilshchykov.

Former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko posted a tweet of a photograph of a fighter pilot, falsely claiming it to be the Ghost of Kyiv.[19][20][21] The photo was later found to be an unrelated image from a Ministry of Defense post from 2019.[21] On 27 February, the Security Service of Ukraine said in a Facebook post that the Ghost of Kyiv had shot down 10 aircraft.[22] By March 2, official sources had confirmed neither an individual identity nor an official record for the rumored pilot.[23]

### Doubts

A day later, however, The Times reported that a Ukrainian military source said the pilot was real and still alive.[24] The Armed Forces of Ukraine posted on Facebook the purported pilot in his helmet with the visor down with the caption: "Hello, occupier, I'm coming for your soul!"[25]

Military.com stated that the Ghost of Kyiv was "almost certainly a myth, albeit an incredibly useful one as Ukraine tries to rally its citizens to resist Russian conquest".[26] Newsweek wrote that the Ghost of Kyiv was "very likely not real, but instead, an imaginary hero designed to bolster Ukrainians' morale in the face of the Russian invasion," adding that "there is zero evidence the 'Ghost of Kyiv' exists with Ukrainian authorities not confirming their existence".[12]

Reexaminations have characterized the Ghost of Kyiv as a part of a larger "information war" to counter the Russian invasion.[27] Task & Purpose and The Times of Israel have described the Ghost of Kyiv as a narrative that's an element of Ukraine's resistance.[28][27]

Selfie by Pilshchykov, 25 April 2019.

### Clarifications

The persona is based on confirmed downing of Russian planes, assigned to one heroic figure.[29]

On 30 April 2022, Ukraine's Air Force Command admitted the mythical status of the Ghost of Kyiv: "The ghost of Kyiv is a superhero-legend, whose character was created by Ukrainians,"[2] adding that "the #GhostOfKyiv is alive, it embodies the collective spirit of the highly qualified pilots".[30]

In early 2024, Ukraine Ground Forces spokesperson Illia Yevlash admitted that the pilot is fictional and was created by his team after Ukrainian Force showed repeated ability to down Russian planes:

> During a brainstorming session, it seems to me that Volodymyr Fityo (Ukrainian Ground Forces Spokesperson) suggested calling him "The Ghost of Kyiv." Everyone supported the idea. Later the news agencies, the United News Telemarathon, spread the info. We wrote a post about him twice, and then "The Ghost" began to live [on] his own.[29]

Serhiy Cherevat, spokesman for the Eastern UAF Group, pointed out that the men "create[d] the image of an avenger, a national hero, a flying ace destroying the enemy aircraft."[29]

An anonymous Ukrainian military expert told BBC that the myth helped "raise morale at a time when people need simple stories", while the Air Force Command warned people to not "neglect the basic rules of information hygiene" and to "check the sources of information, before spreading it".[2][5][6] The statement came after multiple media outlets published stories wrongly identifying Major Stepan Tarabalka as the man behind the moniker. Tarabalka was a pilot who died on 13 March 2022 during air combat against Russian aircraft and was posthumously awarded the title Hero of Ukraine.[31]

In an interview on June 8, addressing the Ghost of Kyiv myth specifically, Ukrainian government advisor Liubov Tsybulska indicated the importance of avoiding the use of disinformation while acknowledging that mistakes may sometimes happen. She emphasized that the Ukrainian government was "capable of having lessons learned" and further expressed the most important thing was that the misinformation was acknowledged and removed.[32]

### Representations

After Ukrainian fighter pilot Andrii Pilshchykov died on 25 August 2023, it was revealed that the original photo which purported to show the Ghost of Kyiv, shared by Poroshenko and spread by the media, showed Pilshchykov, who was also one of the original creators of the "Ghost of Kyiv" myth.[33]

## Legacy

3D fan art of the Ghost of Kyiv.

Despite the Ghost of Kyiv being an urban legend or instance of war propaganda, the pilot's alleged existence has been credited as a major morale boost for the Ukrainian population by bolstering optimism during the Russian invasion.[10][34][35] The story was widely shared by Ukrainians on social media[12][18] and eventually came to be treated by some as a composite character metaphorically representing the actions of the entire Ukrainian air force.[36][37]

Computer-generated footage of the Ghost of Kyiv winning a dogfight was made using the 2013 video game Digital Combat Simulator and uploaded by a YouTube user. The uploader stated in the description that the footage was not real and was merely a tribute, urging the Ghost of Kyiv, real or fake, to keep fighting. The video was subsequently shared by the official Twitter account of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.[12] The video went viral on social media, although Snopes noted that the circulating video was miscaptioned.[38][39][40] Similar to the Ghost of Kyiv, on 26 February 2022, social media reports emerged of a Ukrainian army soldier dubbed the "Ukrainian Reaper", who supposedly killed over twenty Russian soldiers in combat alone.[41]

Task & Purpose argued that while it was highly unlikely there were even six air-to-air takedowns in total, given their rarity in the 21st century and Ukraine's strong missile defense, the Ghost of Kyiv was "real enough" as the spirit of the Ukrainians.[34] Tom Demerly of The Aviationist argued that the Ghost of Kyiv is an "example of bizarre distortions ... amplified by the chaos of war".[42]

In 2024, the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade, the main Air Force unit active over the skies of Kyiv during the Kyiv offensive was awarded the honorary title "Ghost of Kyiv" in 2024 by a decree issued by President Zelenskyy.[43]

## See also

* Disinformation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
* Vadym Voroshylov (Karaya)
* Oleksandr Oksanchenko (Grey wolf)
* Andrii Pilshchykov (Juice)
* Stepan Tarabalka
* Mykhailo Matiushenko
* Colonel Tomb representing the Vietnam People's Air Force, and claimed killed by the Americans
* Lei Feng
* White Tights
* Lone gunner of Flesquières – Possibly mythical German officer in 1917
* Confirmation and overclaiming of aerial victories during World War II
* Cyborgs (Donetsk airport)

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 (in uk)5 Kanal. 25 February 2022. https://www.5.ua/ukrayina/pryvyd-kyieva-pilot-mih-29-za-30-hodyn-zdobuv-6-povitrianykh-peremoh-nad-okupantom-269346.html.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Bubola, Emma (1 May 2022). "Ukraine acknowledges that the 'Ghost of Kyiv' is a myth.". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/01/world/europe/ghost-kyiv-ukraine-myth.html.
3. ↑ Axe, David (30 April 2022). "The 'Ghost Of Kyiv,' Who Was Never Real, Just Got Killed In The Press". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2022/04/30/the-ghost-of-kyiv-who-was-never-real-just-got-killed-in-the-press/. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
4. ↑ Lajka, Arijeta (2 May 2022). "Ukraine admits 'Ghost of Kyiv' fighter pilot is a myth". Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-europe-media-social-cc6e278ae22f37476eb95e5133541047.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Beachum, Lateshia (1 May 2022). "The 'Ghost of Kyiv' was never alive, Ukrainian air force says.". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/01/ghost-of-kyiv-propaganda/.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Peter, Laurence (1 May 2022). "How Ukraine's 'Ghost of Kyiv' legendary pilot was born". BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61285833.
7. ↑ Thompson, Stuart A.; Alba, Davey (2022-03-03). "Fact and Mythmaking Blend in Ukraine's Information War" (in en). Archived from the original on 2022-03-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20220314075954/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/03/technology/ukraine-war-misinfo.html. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
8. ↑ ""Призрак Киева" - это украинская пропаганда или реальный человек? Проверяем" (in ru). 2022-07-31. https://factcheck.kg/prizrak-kieva-eto-ukrainskaya-propaganda-ili-realnyj-chelovek-proveryaem/.
9. ↑ Yang, Maya; Badshah, Nadeem; Thomas, Tobi (2022-10-15). "Russia-Ukraine war live: 'endemic corruption and poor logistics' harming Russian military, says UK – as it happened" (in en). https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/oct/15/russia-ukraine-war-live-news-many-russian-reservists-likely-buying-their-own-body-armour-says-uk. "Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence has revealed the identity of the “Ghost of Vinnytsia” who had replaced the “Ghost of Kyiv”, which turned out to be propaganda, in a Twitter post"
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Miller, Christopher; Koshiw, Isobel; Kiehart, Pete (27 February 2022). "Stories Of Ukrainian Heroism Are Emerging And Giving The Country Hope". https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/christopherm51/videos-ukraine-heroism-russia-invasion-tanks.
11. ↑ Miller, Daniel (25 February 2022). "Who is the 'Ghost of Kyiv'? Tale of Ukrainian fighter pilot trends on social media". Fox 2 Detroit. https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/ghost-of-kyiv-tale-of-ukrainian-fighter-pilot-trends-social-media.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Van Brugen, Isabel (25 February 2022). "Who is the Ghost of Kyiv? Ukraine MiG-29 Fighter Pilot Becomes the Stuff of Legend". Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/who-ghost-kyiv-ukraine-fighter-pilot-mig-29-russian-fighter-jets-combat-1682651. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
13. ↑ LW (25 February 2022). "The Ghost of Kyiv, Ukraine's urban legend of a hero ace pilot". Marca. https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/world-news/2022/02/25/621851ddca4741a0458b4652.html.
14. ↑ Nelson, David (25 February 2022). "Ghost of Kyiv: unconfirmed Ukrainian MiG-29 pilot credited with six kills". Diario AS. https://en.as.com/en/2022/02/25/latest_news/1645761484_154230.html.
15. ↑ Naar, Ismaeel (25 February 2022). "Ukrainians call unidentified fighter pilot 'Ghost of Kiev' after dogfight videos surface". The National. https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/europe/2022/02/25/ukrainians-call-unidentified-fighter-pilot-ghost-of-kiev-after-dogfight-videos-surface/.
16. ↑ "Is 'Ghost of Kyiv' real? Ukrainian military tweets on mystery MiG-29 pilot". The Week. 25 February 2022. https://www.theweek.in/news/world/2022/02/25/is-ghost-of-kyiv-real-ukrainian-military-tweets-on-mystery-mig-29-pilot.html. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
17. ↑ Ministry of Defence of Ukraine [MinistryofDefence.UA] (25 February 2022). "Error: no `|title=` specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in uk). https://www.facebook.com/MinistryofDefence.UA/posts/263943022584824.Error:+no+`|title=`+specified when+using+{{[[Template:Cite+web|Cite+web]]}}&rft.atitle=&rft.aulast=Ministry+of+Defence+of+Ukraine+[MinistryofDefence.UA]&rft.au=Ministry+of+Defence+of+Ukraine+[MinistryofDefence.UA]&rft.date=25+February+2022&rft_id=https://www.facebook.com/MinistryofDefence.UA/posts/263943022584824&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikibooks.org:Biography:Ghost_of_Kyiv">
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Milmo, Cahal (25 February 2022). "The Ghost of Kyiv: How Ukraine is harnessing the urban legend of a mysterious fighter ace to boost morale". i. https://inews.co.uk/news/ghost-of-kyiv-ukraine-fighter-ace-urban-legend-morale-russia-invasion-1483658.
19. ↑ "Who is the 'Ghost of Kyiv'? The ace pilot giving hope to Ukrainians". WION. 26 February 2022. https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-the-ghost-of-kyiv-the-ace-pilot-giving-hope-to-ukrainians-456795.
20. ↑ LW (26 February 2022). "Former Ukraine president confirms the 'Ghost of Kyiv' is real". Marca. https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/world-news/2022/02/26/6219757d22601d2e038b45bf.html.
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Eisele, Ines (1 March 2022). "Fact check: Ukraine's 'Ghost of Kyiv' fighter pilot". Deutsche Welle. https://www.dw.com/en/fact-check-ukraines-ghost-of-kyiv-fighter-pilot/a-60951825.
22. ↑ (in uk)5 Kanal. 27 February 2022. https://www.5.ua/ukrayina/lehendarnyi-ukrainskyi-pilot-pryvyd-kyieva-vzhe-zbyv-10-rosiiskykh-litakiv-sbu-269515.html.
23. ↑ Parkins, Brianna (2022-03-02). "FactCheck: Is this footage of the famed Ghost of Kyiv?". https://www.thejournal.ie/is-this-footage-of-the-ghost-of-kyiv-real-5697669-Mar2022/. "The pilot has not been officially identified and his record has not been confirmed by official sources."
24. ↑ Brown, Larisa; Wright, Oliver (2022-03-03). "Underdog Ukrainian pilots fight high-tech Russian adversaries with skill". The Times. https://www.thetimes.com/world/russia-ukraine-war/article/underdog-ukrainian-pilots-fight-high-tech-russian-adversaries-with-skill-v7rp2m8z5. "A Ukrainian military source said that a MiG-29 pilot nicknamed the Ghost of Kyiv, who was claimed to have shot down six Russian planes on the first day of the invasion, was real and was still alive. It was not clear whether he was involved in the dogfight yesterday."
25. ↑ Rose, David (2022-03-11). "Meet Ukraine's Ghost of Kyiv who is 'coming for Russia's soul'". The Times. https://www.thetimes.com/world/russia-ukraine-war/article/meet-the-ghost-of-kyiv-coming-for-russias-soul-0s9gn9t89.
26. ↑ Novelly, Thomas (2 March 2022). "Ukraine's Fighter Ace 'Ghost of Kyiv' May Be a Myth, But It's Lethal as War Morale". https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/03/02/ukraines-fighter-ace-ghost-of-kyiv-may-be-myth-its-lethal-war-morale.html.
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Ben-David, Ricky; Freedman, Ethan (3 April 2022). "Ukraine has upper hand in information war, but Russia eyes a long game". The Times of Israel. https://www.timesofisrael.com/ukraine-has-upper-hand-in-infowar-battle-but-russia-eyes-a-long-game/.
28. ↑ Johnson, Daniel (29 March 2022). "The real reason Ukraine's information war is so successful". https://taskandpurpose.com/analysis/ukraine-information-war/.
29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 Shashkova, Maryna (2024-02-25). "The Ghost of Kyiv: Who Is the Legendary Pilot of the Russo-Ukrainian War?" (in en). https://www.kyivpost.com/post/28468.
30. ↑ Shoaib, Alia (1 May 2022). "Ukraine's Air Force debunks 'Ghost of Kyiv' death, says it is not one man but represents all pilots". Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-ghost-of-kyiv-died-in-battle-2022-4.
31. ↑ Lajka, Arijeta (2 May 2022). "'A super-hero legend': Ukraine admits 'Ghost of Kyiv' fighter pilot is a myth". The Times of Israel. https://www.timesofisrael.com/ukraine-admits-ghost-of-kyiv-fighter-pilot-is-a-myth/.
32. ↑ Russians should 'do their homework' and oust Putin says Ukraine advisor (Video). Deutsche Welle. 8 June 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2022 - via YouTube.
33. ↑ "Born for the sky: Andrii "Juice" Pilshchykov obituary" (in en-US). https://mil.in.ua/en/articles/born-for-the-sky-andrii-juice-pilshchykov-obituary/. "The commanders approved this idea as trolling the Russians, who said they had destroyed all the aviation on the first day of the war. And Andrii, who had such a caustic trolling style, said: “And here we are on the very planes that they destroyed, which are not there – we are fighting them so much. And who are we? Ghosts!”"
34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Keller, Jared (25 February 2022). "'The Ghost of Kyiv' is the first urban legend of Russia's invasion of Ukraine". https://taskandpurpose.com/analysis/ghost-kyiv/.
35. ↑ Bhalla, Abhishek (26 February 2022). "Ghost of Kyiv: A war hero's folklore in Ukraine or propaganda?". India Today. https://www.indiatoday.in/world/russia-ukraine-war/story/-ghost-of-kyiv-ukraine-arms-surrender-propaganda-galore-fog-of-war-1918247-2022-02-26. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
36. ↑ Crane, Emily (11 March 2022). "Ukrainian military warns 'Ghost of Kyiv' is 'coming for Russia's soul'". New York Post. https://nypost.com/2022/03/11/ukrainian-military-warns-ghost-of-kyiv-is-coming-for-russias-soul/. "Regardless, the pilot has become a folk hero amid the bloodshed and the term has been adopted to refer to the entire Ukrainian air force."
37. ↑ LW (12 March 2022). "'Ghost of Kyiv' returns and threatens that it is 'coming for Russia's soul'". Marca. https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/world-news/2022/03/12/622ce71c22601d79488b4591.html. "As a result, the term by which this pilot has been called has been adopted to name the entire Ukrainian air force."
38. ↑ Gach, Ethan (26 January 2022). "'Ghost Of Kyiv' Fighter Pilot Blowing Up Russian Aircraft In Trending Clip Actually From Video Game". https://kotaku.com/ghost-kyiv-russia-ukraine-invasion-viral-video-fake-pc-1848598266.
39. ↑ Evon, Dan (25 February 2022). "Is This 'Ghost of Kyiv' Video Real?". https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/is-this-ghost-of-kyiv-video-real/.
40. ↑ Silverman, Craig; Kao, Jeff (8 March 2022). "In the Ukraine Conflict, Fake Fact-Checks Are Being Used to Spread Disinformation". https://www.propublica.org/article/in-the-ukraine-conflict-fake-fact-checks-are-being-used-to-spread-disinformation.
41. ↑ LW (26 February 2022). "If you liked the 'Ghost of Kyiv', you will love the 'Ukrainian Reaper'". Marca. https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/world-news/2022/02/26/6219989dca4741b8248b456e.html.
42. ↑ Demerly, Tom (25 February 2022). "The 'Ghost of Kyiv', The Missing Mega-Plane, A Rogue Air India flight and a Samurai: Welcome to the Fog of War". https://theaviationist.com/2022/02/25/the-fog-of-war/.
43. ↑ "Президент Володимир Зеленський і перша леді Олена Зеленська взяли участь в урочистостях з нагоди 33-ї річниці незалежності України". https://www.president.gov.ua/news/prezident-volodimir-zelenskij-i-persha-ledi-olena-zelenska-v-92821. Retrieved 2024-08-24.

## External links

Template:2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

* v
* t
* e

Urban legends

* List

Theorists|

* Jan Harold Brunvand

Urban legends by region|

| American urban legends|

* The babysitter and the man upstairs
* Baby Train
* Black-eyed children
* Bloody Mary
* Blue star tattoo legend
* The Bunny Man
* Choking Doberman
* Cow tipping
* The Hook
* Killer in the backseat
* The Licked Hand
* Poisoned candy myths
* Sewer alligators
* Polybius
* Slender Man
* Vanishing hitchhiker

|

Asian urban legends|

* Aka Manto ("Red Cape")
* Curse of the Colonel
* Hanako-san of the Toilet
* Kokkuri
* Kuchisake-onna ("Slit-Mouthed Woman")
* Kunekune
* Nale Ba
* Sony timer
* Teke Teke

European urban legends|

* 999 phone charging myth
* Black dog
* Black Shuck
* Paul is dead
* The Spider Bite

Websites|

* Snopes.com: Urban Legends Reference Pages

TV series|

* Mostly True Stories?: Urban Legends Revealed (2002–2004)
* MythBusters (2003–2016)
* Urban Legends (2007–present)

Films|

* Urban Legend (1998)
* Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000)
* Urban Legends: Bloody Mary (2005)

Related articles|

* List of cryptids
* Lists of fictional species
* Lists of legendary creatures

* Category

0.00

(0 votes)

Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost of Kyiv. Read more

|

Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Biography:Ghost_of_Kyiv&oldid=4350773"
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template