Moonfish (pilot)

Moonfish is a Ukrainian military pilot of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Biography
As of June 2022, Moonfish was the commander of a squadron of Ukrainian MiG-29 fighters.

In August 2023, Moonfish started a training course in the United Kingdom with plans to eventually fly an F-16.

Advocacy efforts
In June 2022, Moonfish visited the US with another Ukrainian pilot, call sign Juice, to lobby for F-16s for Ukraine. They met with several US lawmakers and explained which modern weapons systems were needed most in Ukraine. Sean Penn accompanied the pilots in some of the meetings, to amplify their message. The pilots met with Adam Kinzinger in his office in Washington, D.C. As a result, Kinzinger introduced the «Ukraine Fighter Pilots Act» to the United States House of Representatives on June 17, 2022. The bill was cosponsored by other congressmembers.

F-16 involvement
After months of advocacy to ensure F-16s for Ukraine, Moonfish was among the first Ukrainian pilots to start F-16 training in the US. He gave an extensive interview to Ukrainian TV describing the process. In the Fall of 2023, his training advanced from a simulator cockpit to actual F-16 airframes.