The ‘ghost of Kiev’ does not exist. The Ukrainian Air Force super-pilot, known as ‘The Ghost of Kyiv’, is a legend. The Ukrainian Armed Forces deny the existence of a pilot who would have shot down 40 enemy aircraft in the war with Russia and then would have been killed in battle. “The ghost of Kiev is a legendary superhero, a character from the Ukrainians,” wrote the air force command on their Facebook profile. Read also The clarification became necessary after an article in the Times that gave a name and a face to the ‘superhero’, calling into question the major Stepan Tarabalka, 29 years old. “Stepan Tarabalka, the Ukrainian hero, is not the ‘ghost of Kiev’ and has not shot down 40 planes,” the command added. “The ‘ghost of Kiev’ is alive, it represents the collective spirit of highly skilled pilots who successfully defend Kiev and the region,” the command tweeted.