US Joins In Investigating Ukraine's F-16 Jet Crash

JAKARTA - Ukrainian air force commanders said they had shared initial reports with US partners about the F-16 jet crash that occurred on Monday.

Mykola Oleshchuk said partners from the United States, where the F-16 was produced, assisted in the investigation.

The Ukrainian military said on Thursday the F-16 crashed and its pilots were killed as it approached the target during a large Russian air strike on Monday.

Meanwhile, a US defense official told Reuters the accident did not appear to have been caused by Russian fire. The possible cause of the pilot's error to mechanical failure is still being investigated.

Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said the US was not asked to participate in any type of investigation to investigate the F-16 incident.

The arrival of the first F-16 jet was a milestone for Ukraine in the fight against the full-scale invasion launched by Russia 2-1/2 last year.