The Ukrainian Air Force has admitted 'The Ghost of Kyiv' isn't a sole fighter pilot that has wreaked havoc on the Russian Air Force.
The urban legend has been around since the early stages of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the pilot has become a symbol of strength for the Ukrainian people.
According to the BBC, some people have claimed online that The Ghost of Kyiv is responsible for taking out up to 40 enemy planes.
Advert
However, it's since been revealed that this legend isn't really one pilot.
The Ukraine Air Force Command has posted a message on its Facebook page in an effort to stop people posting misinformation.
There were several news reports that claimed Major Stepan Tarabalka was The Ghost of Kyiv and he was killed during a military operation against Russia in mid-March.
Advert
But, Ukraine's Air Force shut down that rumour and finally revealed the true identity of the urban legend.
"Hero of Ukraine Stepan Tarabalka is NOT 'Ghost of Kiev' and he did NOT hit 40 planes," the Air Force wrote, translated into English.
"On March 13, 2022, Major Stepan Tarabalka was heroically killed in an air battle with the dominant forces of the Russian occupiers.
"Ghost of Kiev is a superhero-legend whose character was created by Ukrainians!
"This is a faster collected image of pilots of the 40th Air Force tactical aviation brigade, who protect the sky of the capital."
Advert
The Air Force added: "We ask the Ukrainian community not to neglect the basic rules of information hygiene," the message said, urging people to "check the sources of information, before spreading it".
The Ghost of Kyiv has become one of the defining symbols of Ukraine's defence against Russia, along with images of Ukrainians making molotov cocktails and the Ukrainian soldier on Snake Island who told a Russian warship to 'go f**k yourself'.
Those latter two are very real, however the legendary pilot sadly isn't.
At the start of Russia's invasion into Ukraine, a video went viral on social media because it claimed to show The Ghost of Kyiv in action against Russian warplanes.
Advert
One post on Twitter that shared the clip wrote: "Crazy footage of a MiG-29 of the Ukrainian Air Force shooting down a Su-35 fighter jet of #Russia’s Air Force over Ukraine’s capital #Kyiv today. Likely using the R-73 infrared homing missile."
However, it was then revealed that the footage was from Digital Combat Simulator World.
The creator of the combat flight simulator confirmed to Reuters that the clips that have been widely shared on social media are from their game.
The simulator is made by Eagle Dynamics and Matthias Techmanski, a spokesperson for the company, told the news outlet: “We are not responsible for its distribution, nor do we endorse such content."
While The Ghost of Kyiv might not be real, there's no denying the urban legend has served as an iconic symbol for Ukrainian people amid the Russian invasion.
Stewart Perrie