‘Ghost of Kyiv’ Killed in Battle Over Ukraine, Hero’s Identity Revealed

The mysterious hero of the Ukraine war, who in the early days achieved near mythological levels, was killed in combat on March 15 it’s been revealed.

“Since early childhood, he always dreamed of the sky, about flying higher than the clouds,” Tarabalka’s mother, Natalha, told NPR News in an interview on March 25th long before her son was identified as the “Ghost of Kyiv” to international media.

The man who became a hero for the Ukrainians -having allegedly shot down more than 40—Russian aircraft—was Stepan Tarabalka, a 29-year-old father of one.

“The ghost of Kyiv” shot to fame after the Ukrainian government tweeted a video showing an artist’s impression of the pilot. He had purportedly shot down six Russian aircraft on only the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022.

The fighter ace was flying a MiG-29 of the Ukrainian Air Force when it was shot down on March 13th while battling “overwhelming” enemy forces, according to the report.

His helmet and goggles are expected to go on sale at an auction in London.

All that his parents knew was that Stepan was on a mission, and that he had completed his task but had not returned. Not much detail about his last air battle and death had been shared with them.

A working-class child from a small village, Stepan was determined to make it through military and flight school.

“At any opportunity, he would fly close to our house, do a little aerobatic trick. And everyone in the village, every house and all the villages around would know that [was] Stepan flying,” the hero’s mother recalled.