Ghost of Kyiv, painting by Ukrainian illustrator Andrii Dankovych.

The Ghost of Kyiv (Ukrainian: Привид Києва, romanized: Pryvyd Kyieva,[1] pronounced [ˈprɪʋɪd ˈkɪjeʋɐ]) is the nickname given to a mythical[2][3][4] MiG-29 Fulcrum flying ace credited with shooting down six Russian planes over Kyiv during the Kyiv offensive on 24 February 2022. Various reports, including the Security Service of Ukraine, made similar claims. The Ghost of Kyiv has been credited as a morale booster for Ukrainians and as a narrative for Ukraine's success during the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Two months after the story spread, the Ukrainian Air Force acknowledged that the fighter was a myth, 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 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]

Background and claims

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

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 2nd, official sources had confirmed neither an individual identity nor an official record for the rumored pilot.[23] 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 up 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] Despite the Russian military owning an advantage in its use of information, Ukraine has defended the country's efforts and may have overtaken them using Russia's lack of success.[28] 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.

On 30 April 2022, Ukraine's Air Force Command admitted the mythical status of the Ghost of Kyiv, writing that "The ghost of Kyiv is a superhero-legend, whose character was created by Ukrainians,"[2] and that "the #GhostOfKyiv is alive, it embodies the collective spirit of the highly qualified pilots".[29] An anonymous Ukrainian military expert told BBC that it helped "raise morale at a time when people need simple stories", and the Air Force Command also 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 real pilot who died on 13 March 2022 during air combat and was posthumously awarded the title Hero of Ukraine.[30]

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.[31]

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.[32]

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][33][34] 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.[35][36]

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.[37][38][39] Separately, comedian Sam Hyde's face was photoshopped onto an American pilot who was killed in a 2018 jet crash in Ukraine, as part of a long-running joke to link Hyde to atrocities.[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.[33] Tom Demerly of The Aviationist argued that the Ghost of Kyiv is an "example of bizarre distortions ... amplified by the chaos of war".[42]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Привид Києва": пілот МіГ-29 за 30 годин здобув 6 повітряних перемог над окупантом ["Ghost of Kyiv": MiG-29 pilot won 6 air victories over the occupier in 30 hours]. 5 Kanal (in Ukrainian). 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Bubola, Emma (1 May 2022). "Ukraine acknowledges that the 'Ghost of Kyiv' is a myth". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  3. ↑ Axe, David (30 April 2022). "The 'Ghost Of Kyiv,' Who Was Never Real, Just Got Killed In The Press". Forbes. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  4. ↑ Lajka, Arijeta (2 May 2022). "Ukraine admits 'Ghost of Kyiv' fighter pilot is a myth". Associated Press. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  5. 1 2 Beachum, Lateshia (1 May 2022). "The 'Ghost of Kyiv' was never alive, Ukrainian air force says". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  6. 1 2 Peter, Laurence (1 May 2022). "How Ukraine's 'Ghost of Kyiv' legendary pilot was born". BBC News. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  7. ↑ Thompson, Stuart A.; Alba, Davey (3 March 2022). "Fact and Mythmaking Blend in Ukraine's Information War". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  8. ↑ ""Призрак Киева" - это украинская пропаганда или реальный человек? Проверяем". Factcheck.kg (in Russian). 31 July 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  9. ↑ Yang, Maya; Badshah, Nadeem; Thomas, Tobi (15 October 2022). "Russia-Ukraine war live: 'endemic corruption and poor logistics' harming Russian military, says UK – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 January 2023. 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. 1 2 Miller, Christopher; Koshiw, Isobel; Kiehart, Pete (27 February 2022). "Stories Of Ukrainian Heroism Are Emerging And Giving The Country Hope". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  11. ↑ Miller, Daniel (25 February 2022). "Who is the 'Ghost of Kyiv'? Tale of Ukrainian fighter pilot trends on social media". Fox 2 Detroit. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 Van Brugen, Isabel (25 February 2022). "Who is the Ghost of Kyiv? Ukraine MiG-29 Fighter Pilot Becomes the Stuff of Legend". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  13. ↑ LW (25 February 2022). "The Ghost of Kyiv, Ukraine's urban legend of a hero ace pilot". Marca. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  14. ↑ Nelson, David (25 February 2022). "Ghost of Kyiv: unconfirmed Ukrainian MiG-29 pilot credited with six kills". Diario AS. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  15. ↑ Naar, Ismaeel (25 February 2022). "Ukrainians call unidentified fighter pilot 'Ghost of Kiev' after dogfight videos surface". The National. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  16. ↑ "Is 'Ghost of Kyiv' real? Ukrainian military tweets on mystery MiG-29 pilot". The Week. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  17. ↑ Ministry of Defence of Ukraine [MinistryofDefence.UA] (25 February 2022). До строю авіації... [To the air force ...] (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022 – via Facebook.
  18. 1 2 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. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  19. ↑ "Who is the 'Ghost of Kyiv'? The ace pilot giving hope to Ukrainians". WION. 26 February 2022. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  20. ↑ LW (26 February 2022). "Former Ukraine president confirms the 'Ghost of Kyiv' is real". Marca. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  21. 1 2 Eisele, Ines (1 March 2022). "Fact check: Ukraine's 'Ghost of Kyiv' fighter pilot". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  22. ↑ Легендарний український пілот "Привид Києва" вже збив 10 російських літаків – СБУ [Legendary Ukrainian pilot "Ghost of Kyiv" has already shot down 10 Russian jets – SBU]. 5 Kanal (in Ukrainian). 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  23. ↑ Parkins, Brianna (2 March 2022). "FactCheck: Is this footage of the famed Ghost of Kyiv?". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 20 March 2022. The pilot has not been officially identified and his record has not been confirmed by official sources.
  24. ↑ Brown, Larisa; Wright, Oliver (3 March 2022). "Underdog Ukrainian pilots fight high-tech Russian adversaries with skill". The Times. Retrieved 11 March 2022. 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 (11 March 2022). "Meet Ukraine's Ghost of Kyiv who is 'coming for Russia's soul'". The Times. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  26. ↑ Novelly, Thomas (2 March 2022). "Ukraine's Fighter Ace 'Ghost of Kyiv' May Be a Myth, But It's Lethal as War Morale". Military.com. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  27. 1 2 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. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  28. 1 2 Johnson, Daniel (29 March 2022). "The real reason Ukraine's information war is so successful". Task & Purpose. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  29. ↑ 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. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  30. ↑ Lajka, Arijeta (2 May 2022). "'A super-hero legend': Ukraine admits 'Ghost of Kyiv' fighter pilot is a myth". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  31. ↑ Russians should 'do their homework' and oust Putin says Ukraine advisor (Video). Deutsche Welle. 8 June 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2022 – via YouTube.
  32. ↑ "Born for the sky: Andrii "Juice" Pilshchykov obituary". Militarnyi. Retrieved 29 August 2023. 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!"
  33. 1 2 Keller, Jared (25 February 2022). "'The Ghost of Kyiv' is the first urban legend of Russia's invasion of Ukraine". Task & Purpose. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  34. ↑ Bhalla, Abhishek (26 February 2022). "Ghost of Kyiv: A war hero's folklore in Ukraine or propaganda?". India Today. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  35. ↑ Crane, Emily (11 March 2022). "Ukrainian military warns 'Ghost of Kyiv' is 'coming for Russia's soul'". New York Post. Retrieved 12 March 2022. 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.
  36. ↑ LW (12 March 2022). "'Ghost of Kyiv' returns and threatens that it is 'coming for Russia's soul'". Marca. Retrieved 12 March 2022. As a result, the term by which this pilot has been called has been adopted to name the entire Ukrainian air force.
  37. ↑ Gach, Ethan (26 January 2022). "'Ghost Of Kyiv' Fighter Pilot Blowing Up Russian Aircraft In Trending Clip Actually From Video Game". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  38. ↑ Evon, Dan (25 February 2022). "Is This 'Ghost of Kyiv' Video Real?". Snopes. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  39. ↑ Silverman, Craig; Kao, Jeff (8 March 2022). "In the Ukraine Conflict, Fake Fact-Checks Are Being Used to Spread Disinformation". ProPublica. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  40. ↑ "Fact Check-Comedian Sam Hyde is not the 'Ghost of Kyiv'". Reuters. 2 March 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  41. ↑ LW (26 February 2022). "If you liked the 'Ghost of Kyiv', you will love the 'Ukrainian Reaper'". Marca. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  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". The Aviationist. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
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