Ukraine is mourning the loss of three fighter pilots killed as two training aircraft collided in the skies some 90 miles west of Kyiv. Singled out for particular praise by president Volodymr Zelensky and Ukraine’s airforce is Captain Andriy Pilshchykov, a pilot who went by the military callsign “Juice”. The late pilot, who was 30 years old when the crash occured over the western Zhytomyr region on Friday, had become known not just for his defence of Ukraine, but also for his passionate advocacy for the United States to provide Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets. The Mig-29 pilot first won fame in Ukraine as he took part in “dogfights” with Moscow’s fighter jets in the skies above Kyiv during the initial months of Russia’s invasion, according to Ukrainian news outlets. As Russian air sorties over Kyiv grew fewer, Pilshchykov continued to defend Ukraine’s skies as he sought to intercept Russian cruise missiles and drones before they struck targets on the ground – and by last May had already racked up 500 hours of combat flights. Last summer, he was one of two Ukrainian pilots chosen to travel to Washington to lobby members of the US Congress to provide Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets, which Joe Biden’s administration eventually agreed to do in May. “Juice” also gave multiple interviews with Western media outlets, speaking to Sky News, the BBC, CNN and Washington Post to name a few, as he fought Ukraine’s case to be provided with the jets. In one interview with the BBC, he said of his missions: “Intercepting the cruise missiles, your mission is to save the lives on the ground, to save the city. If you are not able, it's a terrible feeling that somebody will die. Somebody will die in minutes and you didn't prevent that.” In another broadcast with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, he said: “All of us are ready to fight, just with our jets, with our guns, even just in the fields with rifles. “So our people, including me, we are ready to fight Russians, and we are ready to defend our country, to defend our people in absolutely any ways. But we need tools, effective tools, to do this efficiently.” His call sign, “Juice”, was reportedly given to him by US pilots during a joint training exercise because he did not drink alcohol, and air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat hailed him as a “main driver of an advocacy group promoting many decisions on the F-16s”, who was “in constant contact with Californian pilots”. Speaking to The Guardian, Mr Ihnat also praised “Juice” as a driver of reforms in the air force was “trying to bring Nato standards into Ukraine … and even western traditions, such as the burning of pianos to honour a fallen pilot”. His death has struck a chord in Ukraine, where official footage on Sunday appeared to show troops lined up on a runway to commemorate Pilshchykov and his two fallen comrades Major Viacheslav Minka and Major Serhii Prokazin, as a piano played a sombre lament and was set alight in tribute. Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office has opened a criminal investigation into whether flight preparation rules were violated prior to the fatal crash on Friday, which involved two L-39 training aircraft. As he vowed that the investigation would clarify the circumstances of the crash, Mr Zelensky hailed “Juice” in his nightly address on Saturday as “one of those who helped our country a lot”, adding: “Ukraine will never forget anyone who defended Ukraine’s free sky. May they always be remembered.” Mr Ihnat, of Ukraine’s air force, described Pilshchykov as a “mega talent”, adding: “You can't even imagine how much he wanted to fly an F-16. But now that American planes are actually on the horizon, he will not fly them.” Writing on Facebook, Mr Ihnat added: “Andriy Pilshchykov was not just a pilot, he was a young officer with great knowledge and great talent. He was an excellent communicator, the driver of reforms in Air Force aircraft, a participant in many projects. “I often supported his crazy ideas, which gave incredible results.” Nolan Peterson, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council think-tank was among Western commentators to pay tribute to the pilot, saying: “The stories he told me about flying his MiG-29 in combat against Russia are the stuff of epics. He is a hero and will be rightly remembered as such.” Read More Ukraine-Russia war live: Kyiv claims five Moscow fighter jets hit by drones, as Prigozhin ‘confirmed dead’ Ukrainian high jumper Mahuchikh takes gold in emotional close to world championships Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin confirmed dead by Russian investigators after plane crash Ukraine investigates incident that killed 3 pilots while Russia attacks with cruise missiles ‘Gangster’ Putin committed ‘most ostentatious’ act of savagery in our lifetimes, says Boris

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French president Emmanuel Macron held a crisis meeting as Francewas gripped by violence for a second day on Thursday over the police killing of a teenager of North African descent. Clashes first erupted on Tuesday night in and around the Paris suburb of Nanterre, where the teen, identified as Nahel M, 17, was shot during a traffic check. Nahel's last name has not been released by authorities or his family. His mother has called for a silent march on Thursday in his honour in the square where the teenager was killed. "I lost a child of 17-year-old, they took my baby," the mother, who has not been named, said in a TikTok video. "He was still a child, he needed his mother. This morning he gave me a big kiss and told me he loved me. I told him be careful and I loved him." According to his mother, they both had left the house together. While he went to get a McDonalds takeout, she left for work. "And then I am told they shot my son, what can I do," the heartbroken woman said. "I only had him. I didn't have 10 like him. He was my life, my best friend. He was my son, He was my everything." The victim's grandmother, who also remained unidentified said: “I will never forgive them. My grandson died, they killed my grandson. We are not happy at all, I am against the government." “They killed my grandson, now I don't care about anyone, they took my grandson from me, I will never forgive them in my life, never, never, never.” A video shared on social media showed two police officers beside a Mercedes AMG car, with one shooting at the teenage driver at close range as he pulled away. He died shortly afterward from his wounds, the local prosecutor said. The teenager, who was too young to hold a full license in France, was driving illegally, a source familiar with the investigation told Reuters. The Nanterre prosecutor said the boy failed on Tuesday to obey the officers’ orders. A lawyer for Nahel's family, Yassine Bouzrou, said they want the police officer prosecuted for murder instead of manslaughter. He said he would file an additional complaint for false testimony over the allegation that the victim had tried to run over the police officer. Police arrested 150 people during a second night of unrest, interior minister Gerald Darmanin said, as public anger spilled onto the streets in towns and cities across the country. Some 40,000 police officers will be deployed overnight to quell violence that engulfed cities and towns, the ministry said, adding that 5,000 alone will be sent to Paris. President Macron said the killing was “inexplicable and inexcusable” and called for calm. “Nothing justifies the death of a young person,” he told reporters in Marseille on Wednesday. Read More Paris riots – latest: Police officer who shot teen dead under investigation for homicide as 150 arrested Paris riots: Video shows police interacting with teenager during fatal traffic stop French police, protesters clash in multiple towns after 17-year-old killed by police Who is Nahel? The teen shot dead by police in France France mobilising 40,000 police to stop fresh violence after officer kills teenager Russia has ‘arrested’ General Armageddon over Wagner mutiny – war news live

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Son Heung-min says Dele Alli will always be part of the family and hopes his former Tottenham team-mate will not “have tough times anymore” as he looks to kick-start his career. Things have gone awry for the 27-year-old since he helped Spurs reach the 2019 Champions League final, with the England international failing to make an impact at Everton after moving there in January 2022. Alli recently revealed he had considered hanging up his boots in an emotional interview that saw him talk about how he was “molested” as a six-year-old and dealing drugs aged eight. The attacking midfielder also spoke about alcohol problems, sleeping-pill addiction and addressing his mental-health issues by spending six weeks in a rehab clinic – situations he kept away from many of his nearest and dearest. The football world has thrown its support behind Alli and he was warmly greeted at Tottenham on Saturday as he watched their 2-0 win against Manchester United, where the former Spur caught up with many of his former team-mates afterwards. “Dele was always close, as a friend with me,” the recently appointed Tottenham skipper said. “It was a really tough moment for him and obviously I’m always there to support him because he’s one of my closest friends. “Christian (Eriksen), as well today. Yeah, it’s just old team-mates but I think this relationship (with Dele) is very special. “He helped me a lot settling down in the UK when I was struggling. He was helping me a lot and is still a good friend of mine. “It’s always good to see him and any time if he needs anything, any second, I will be always there for him. I don’t want him to have tough times anymore.” Put to Son that it would be great if Alli could get his career back on track, he said: “We will always support him. “Obviously it’s up to him now because he has to recover well, get fit and play well because his quality is not in doubt because he has been showing in the Premier League what he can do. “Look, I’m always supporting him, like a member of family.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Pep Guardiola ‘amazed’ by Manchester City hunger at start of new season Mauricio Pochettino confident of rapid Chelsea improvement after West Ham defeat Zharnel Hughes inspired to historic Budapest bronze by Olympic heartbreak

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