One Ukrainian family grieves the loss of their fighter pilot son

So sad, so sad Brother William. PO1 William "Chip" Nagel thanks for sharing my friend.

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Those claims can't be independently verified and most analysts think the true number of destroyed Russian aircraft is far smaller. Even so, it's a remarkable feat for Ukraine facing off Russia's much larger and more sophisticated air force.

Ukrainian expats want the U.S. to do more for friends and relatives fighting Russia
Ukraine won't say how many of its pilots, planes and other air assets have been lost. Some analysts believe the number is at least 22 aircraft, including several Su-25 attack planes, Su-27s, and at least three MiG-29 fighter jets.

One of the Ukrainian MiG pilots was Maj. Stepan Tarabalka. He was killed when his plane was shot down on March 13, according to the Ukrainian military and his family."...

@PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
Almost on a daily basis, we're reminded of the resilience of the Ukrainian people. There's a lot about them to unpack, understand, and emulate. Numbers aside, it's far more noteworthy to see them stand their ground and fight, ready to pay the ultimate sacrifice for their country against a vaunted and more powerful force. Vaunted and powerful the Russians may be, but they lack the internal locus of control born of a group identity and loyalty to it, as well as a moral compass that's defined and emulated from the top down. When their leaders push them to put their lives on the line for a land they have little or no stake in due to the disparate separation of the haves and the have-nots, it doesn't exactly create a motivated fighting force. The Russians are fractured because the hearts and minds of the many have not been 'won' by the opportunistic few ultra-rich leeches who sit back and watch.