The mysterious Ukrainian fighter pilot, dubbed the “Ghost of Kyiv”, was reportedly killed in battle after shooting down dozens of Russian planes, the newspaper reported on Friday.
The death of the famous enigmatic pilot was announced by London’s The Times, which for the first time also publicly identified Major Stepan Tarabalka, a 29-year-old father of a child, as a war hero.
Tarabalka is credited with destroying up to 40 Russian planes until he was shot down on March 13 while fighting a “huge” number of enemy forces, according to the British newspaper.
Tarabalka was posthumously awarded the largest medal of Ukraine for bravery in battle, the Order of the Golden Star, with the title Hero of Ukraine, according to his family.
His helmet and goggles – everything he saw when Ukrainian authorities promoted his heroism – will now be sold at auction in London, sources told the UK Times as they confirmed Tarabalka’s identity.
The Ghost of Kyiv has been identified as Major Stepan Tarabalka.
Tarabalka became a mysterious legend when the Ukrainian government blamed the then-anonymous pilot for shooting down six Russian planes on the first day of the war.
“People call him the ghost of Kyiv. And rightly so, “the official tweet said, adding that it” has already become a nightmare for the invasion of Russian planes. “
Later, the General Staff of Ukraine tweeted another photo of the fighter pilot in the cockpit of his MiG-29 with his face covered and the caption: “Hello, occupier, I come for your soul!”
Many people doubted whether the Ghost was real, as his identity remains a mystery – it seems even to his grieving family when it was told about the death of their loved one last month.
His parents, Nahtalia and Avon Tarabalka, were interviewed by NPR shortly after his death – and they did not mention his secret status or imply that they knew what missions he was on.
“We know he was on a mission. And he fulfilled the mission, his task. Then he did not return. That’s all the information we have, “his father told the paper.
“He has always dreamed of heaven since early childhood,” his mother told NPR.Twitter/@yirmiucderece “We know he flew on a mission,” his parents said of his death.Twitter/@intel1osint100
Tarabalka’s parents told how their son’s lifelong dream is to become a fighter pilot while growing up at a military airport in the village of Korolovka.
“Since early childhood, he has always dreamed of the sky to fly higher than the clouds,” his mother told NPR through an interpreter.
Tarabalka leaves behind a wife and a young son.
“He always watched the paratroopers in their air exercises. And he was running in their direction to try to see where they landed, “Nahtalia said.
His parents said they were amazed when he made his dream come true, even though he had no military ties.
“Becoming a pilot was his own effort. He did everything himself. I just helped with prayers, “said his mother.
They confirmed that Tarabalka, who leaves behind her wife Olenya and 8-year-old son Yarik, has been awarded the Golden Star with the title of Hero of Ukraine.
“Of course, he had already won this award when he was with us,” his father told NPR.
“But we would like him to receive the honor after the war. We just want him still alive. “
Add Comment