Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 31, 2026

Maksym Ustymenko

Maksym Yuriiovych Ustymenko was a Ukrainian fighter pilot with the rank of pidpolkovnyk in the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was a participant of the Russo-Ukrainian war, during which he was killed in 2025. He was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine.

Last revised
Jul 31, 2026
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Maksym Ustymenko
Native name
Максим Устименко
Born
Максим Юрійович Устименко

1993 (1993)
Kharkiv, Ukraine
Died (aged 31)
AllegianceUkraine Ukraine
Branch
 Ukrainian Air Force
Service years
2017–2025
Rank
Pidpolkovnyk
Conflicts
Russo-Ukrainian War †
AwardsHero of Ukraine Order of the Gold Star (Posthumously)
Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd class
Education Ivan Kozhedub National Air Force University

Maksym Yuriiovych Ustymenko (Ukrainian: Максим Юрійович Устименко; 1993 – 29 June 2025) was a Ukrainian fighter pilot with the rank of pidpolkovnyk in the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was a participant of the Russo-Ukrainian war, during which he was killed in 2025. He was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine.1

Biography

Born in 1993,2 he was a classmate of the fallen pilot and Hero of Ukraine Andrii Pilshchykov.3

On the night of 29 June 2025, Ustymenko fought off a massive Russian attack in an F-16 fighter jet; he managed to destroy seven air targets. While practicing on the last target the plane was damaged; the pilot took the plane away from the settlement, but did not have time to eject.4

Awards

Military ranks

  • colonel (as of 2025)1
  • pidpolkovnyk (as of 2022)5
References

References

  1. Decree of the President of Ukraine from 29 червня 2025 year № 444/2025 «Про присвоєння М.Устименку звання Герой України» (in Ukrainian)
  2. Онісімова, Вікторія (29 June 2025). "Відбиваючи атаку РФ, на літаку F-16 загинув льотчик Максим Устименко". novynarnia.com (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  3. Богданьок, Олена (29 June 2025). "Вночі, відбиваючи повітряну атаку РФ, загинув пілот на літаку F-16". suspilne.media (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  4. "При відбитті російської атаки загинув льотчик F-16 Максим Устименко". РБК-Україна (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  5. Decree of the President of Ukraine from 28 лютого 2022 year № 79/2022 «Про відзначення державними нагородами України» (in Ukrainian)