KYIV - The Ukrainian Air Force said Friday that it lost contact with an F-16 fighter jet during a combat mission.

According to preliminary information, an emergency occurred on board after the pilot had destroyed three air targets and was eliminating the fourth with the aircraft's cannon, the Air Force said in a statement.

The pilot managed to steer the jet away from populated areas before ejecting and was later located and evacuated, it said.

Last month, Ukraine reported that a 26-year-old pilot was killed on a combat mission involving an F-16.

Ukraine received the first batch of F-16 fighter jets in August 2024.