It is now common knowledge that Putin has officially declared war on Ukraine to gain control of Crimea. On February 24, 2022, a large-scale Russian invasion of the Ukrainian territory started, and in less than 48 hours of the invasion, 50,000 Ukrainian citizens have fled the country. While the other citizens who are not fortunate enough to have fled, remain packed in metro stations, highways, and airports in attempts to leave. At the same time, there are also other Ukrainian citizens that have decided to take up arms, to defend their sovereignty.
Of these many patriots, perhaps the most talked-about one would be The Ghost of Kyiv, an unknown, mysterious Ukrainian that pilots an outdated Mig-29 fighter jet. Within 24 hours of the Russian invasion, the Ghost of Kyiv was reported to have single-handedly taken down 6 Russian fighter Jets. Reportedly going viral online, the Ghost of Kyiv was unofficially recognized as the first pilot to have recorded a fighter ace in more than twenty-five years, much less the first pilot with an ace in over sixty years.
With such a ‘heroic’ story circulating the internet, it was only natural for the Ghost of Kyiv to attain legendary status, immortalized in an onslaught of memes depicting and aiding his patriotism. Many online users viewed the Ghost of Kyiv as a Hero, a one-man army that has the ability to “overturn” the Ukrainian air defense. With the Ghost of Kyiv around, many online as well as many in Ukraine also view the ‘legendary’ pilot as a guardian of Kyiv. And to the opposing Russian forces, the very name “Ghost of Kyiv” instills fear that is quite befitting of an “untouchable” and “dangerous” fighter jet.
Regardless of the Validity of the Ghost of Kyiv, it is still not verified, as to whether or not such a pilot even exists. As a matter of fact, many believe that the Ghost of Kyiv may very well be fictional, as the story does not match up, as well as the fact that it had originated from twitter and reddit posts (Read more). While the Ghost of Kyiv may very likely be an urban story, the very patriotism and uplifting hope that it brings, cannot be reduced to a mere hoax. As such, the Ghost of Kyiv may be nonexistent materially, it does live on through the many Ukrainian’s fight for Sovereignty, and we on the other side of the world can only wish for a fast resolve to this seemingly barbaric conflict.
Its interesting to see the effect the information age has on these types of propaganda. Before the internet I doubt anyone could dispute a story like this but now its more or less consensus that its likely a made up story to inspire morale, despite the fact that everyone more or less seems to support that action. Makes me wonder how many war stories and heroes I've heard about in past wars were completely fabricated.