Heroic ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ fighter doesn’t actually exist, Ukraine admits

"The “Ghost of Kyiv” is a myth, Ukrainian officials admitted over the weekend. After several news outlets last week identified the legendary, mysterious, hero fighter pilot as a 29-year-old dad recently killed in battle with the Russians, military officials acknowledged Saturday that there was no such person. “The ghost of Kyiv is a superhero-legend, whose character was created by Ukrainians!” Ukraine’s Air Force Command wrote on Facebook. The reputed hero had been credited with taking out as many as 40 Russian aircraft until he was shot down March 13 while battling an “overwhelming” number of enemy forces, the Times of London had reported. The Times identified the supposed Ukrainian war hero as Major Stepan Tarabalka. But while Tarabalka was a distinguished war hero, he was not the “Ghost” — because there never was such a person, Ukraine said. “Hero of Ukraine Stepan Tarabalka is NOT ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ and he did NOT shoot down 40 planes,” said the country’s Air Force Command." NYP