"Ghost Of Kyiv" Ace Pilot Probably Isn't Real, Rumors Spread By Gamers Online
As you've no doubt heard by now, Russian military forces invaded Ukraine yesterday and are currently fighting outside the capital city of Kyiv. So far, fighting has reportedly taken the lives of 137 Ukrainians and injured hundreds more.
But amidst the tragedy of the largest armed invasion of a European nation since World War 2 comes a ray of hope. The so-called "Ghost of Kyiv," a Ukrainian fighter pilot who has since become the world's first "ace" since The Great War.
Related: Here Are Ukrainian Video Game Studios You Can Support Right Now
According to Ukrainian blogger Sergey Naumovich (via Channel 5 News), the Ghost of Kyiv is a Ukrainian Mig-29 pilot "who in 30 hours won six air victories over Russian forces," shooting down two Su-35s, one Su-27, a Russian Mig-29, and two Su-25s. Footage posted below the text shows a Ukrainian Mig-29 shooting down a Russian fighter jet with an infrared homing missile.
The story of the Ghost of Kyiv has since been picked up by mainstream news outlets and is making the rounds on social media, often with colorful images showing support for the Ghost of Kyiv. However, some are questioning whether the Ghost of Kyiv actually exists.
A post on the Ace Combat subreddit alleges that the Ghost of Kyiv may have been fabricated by a War Thunder content creator. TheScottishKoala seems to be the first person to post about the Ghost of Kyiv yesterday at around noon, almost 24 hours before the story was even picked up by Ukrainian news sources. This seems to have started a social media movement under the hashtag #ghostofkyiv, with several artists depicting the Ghost's plane and tail art.
However, ScottishKoala later admitted that he may have "jumped on this too quickly without enough evidence,"
Read more on thegamer.com
