In the wake of his purported downing of scores of Russian aircraft, the enigmatic Ukrainian fighter pilot known as the “Ghost of Kyiv” was reported killed in battle on Friday, according to a report.
It was revealed that Major Stepan Tarabalka, the 29-year-old father of one, was the much-celebrated enigmatic pilot who died, by The Times of London, who also publicly recognized him as the war hero for the first time. Before he was himself shot down on March 13 while engaging an “overwhelming” amount of enemy forces, Tarabalka was credited with shooting down as many as 40 Russian aircraft.
According to his family, Tarabalka was posthumously awarded Ukraine’s highest medal for courage in combat, the Order of the Golden Star, with the title Hero of Ukraine.
According to the UK Times, Tarabalka’s helmet and goggles, which were used to publicize his valor by Ukrainian officials, would be auctioned off in London.
When the Ukrainian government credited the then-anonymous pilot with shooting down six Russian jets on the first day of the war, Tarabalka was transformed into a strange enigma.
They call him Ghost of Kyiv. Official Twitter said he was “already becoming a nightmare for invading Russian aircraft,” and “rightfully so.” General Staff later tweeted another picture with his face masked, entitled “Hello, occupier, I’m coming for your soul!” in the cockpit of his MiG-29 jet.
People began to wonder if the “Ghost” was real because of the lack of clarity around his identity, which perplexed even his bereaved family when they learned of their loved one’s death earlier this month.
The Tarabalkas, his parents, were interviewed by NPR shortly after their son’s death, but they made no mention of his covert operative status or the missions he had served on.
“We know he was flying on a mission. And he completed the mission, his task. Then he didn’t return. That’s all the information we have,” his father informed the newspaper.
In the town of Korolivka, Tarabalka’s parents described how their son’s longtime dream was to fly fighter planes as he grew up near a military airfield.
Through a translator, his mother told NPR that her son had fantasized about flying since he was a toddler. When the paratroopers were practicing their jumps, he would always keep an eye on them. In addition, he’d dash in their direction to see if they’d landed safely, according to Nahtalia.
Despite having no military connections, his parents were delighted when he achieved his goal. “It was his own work to become a pilot.” All of it was done by him. When I asked his mother how she could help, she responded she could only pray.
According to the Ukrainian government, Tarabalka has bestowed the Order of the Golden Star with the title Hero of Ukraine. He leaves behind a wife and an 8-year-old son.
His father told NPR, “Of course, he’d already earned this honor when he was with us. After all, we wish he could have received it. When we think of him, we miss him.”