Ghost of Kyiv

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 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]

  1. ^ "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. ^ a b 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. ^ Cite error: The named reference wp_2022-05 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference bbc_2022-05 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  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