A Ukrainian F-16 supersonic fighter supplied by the West was shot down with the loss of a “hero” pilot amid a desperate operation to counter 500-plus strikes by Vladimir Putin’s forces

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT NATO has scrambled its warplanes after Russia used 500 missiles to down an F-16 fighter jet. The pilot of the Ukrainian F-16 has been hailed a "hero"

Russia launched its biggest aerial attack on Ukraine overnight, part of an escalating bombing campaign that has dashed hopes for a ceasefire. One of the F-16 warplanes Ukraine received from its western partners to help fight Russia’s invasion crashed after sustaining damage while shooting down air targets, killing the pilot.