ALWAGHT- Danish instructor Jepp Hansen, who was training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets, has allegedly been killed in a Russian missile strike in Ukraine, TASS reported on Saturday.
Sources within Russian law enforcement have reportedly informed the agency that Hansen was killed during an attack on a training facility in the city of Krivoy Rog, located in the Dnepropetrovsk Region of central Ukraine.
Earlier, the Russian newspaper Gazeta reported that Russian forces had used an Iskander missile to target a closed university building in the city, which the Ukrainian military had repurposed as barracks. The upper floors of the four-story structure were reportedly destroyed, while the facade sustained significant damage.
Russian media, citing a social media post by Hansen’s friend, claimed the Danish pilot had extensive experience flying F-16 jets and had trained “hundreds of Ukrainians” in operating the aircraft.
Neither Denmark nor the Russian Defense Ministry has issued an official statement regarding these reports.
Last year, the Netherlands and Denmark supplied Ukraine with 20 F-16 fighter jets and committed to sending additional units through 2025. Norway, Belgium, and Greece have also pledged to deliver more F-16s to Kyiv.
Moscow has criticized the delivery of Western arms, arguing that such actions would prolong the conflict without altering its outcome. The Kremlin has also described the transfer of F-16s as a significant escalation in hostilities.
