Ukraine revealed the identity of the famed ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ who according to Ukrainian military officials shot down more than 40 Russian aircrafts since the onset of the war on Ukraine. Ukrainian military officials said that the pilot, Major Stepan Tarabalka, 29, died when his MiG-29 was shot down while fighting Russians on March 13.
The officials also claimed that his helmet and goggles will be auctioned in London. Stepan left behind his parents, his wife and an eight-year-old child. The news of the so-called ‘Ghost Of Kyiv’ circulated during the initial days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While many shared the story on several social media channels, some raised questions regarding its authenticity.
Some even lashed out at news channels for taking sides and publishing news that has the potential to be fake in a bid to boost the morale of Ukraine and creating a ‘David vs Goliath’-like situation.
However, despite confirmation from Ukrainian defence officials who spoke to UK news agency The Times, it is hard to ascertain if Stepan was indeed the ‘Ghost Of Kyiv’ since the story itself is hard to verify. Ukrainian officials remain adamant that the man is not a myth.
Stepan’s parents speaking to Ukrainian defence officials and news agencies said that the pilot was born in Korolivka, western Ukraine and graduated from Kharkiv National University of the Air Force. The pilot was awarded the Order of the Golden Star, with the title Hero of Ukraine posthumously.
“He would always watch the paratroopers in their air exercises. And he would run in their direction to try to see where they landed,” Stepan’s mother Nahtalia told news agency NPR. She further added that at times Stepan would fly over the village and tilt the wings of his MiG-29 to salute the residents of his village. “Everyone in the village, every house and all the villages around would know that is Stepan flying,” Nahtalia further added.
Evon, Stepan’s father, said that the Ukrainian military did not reveal the details of his final flight or his death. “He completed the mission, his task. Then he didn’t return. That’s all the information we have, really,” Evon told NPR.
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