Since Russian troops moved into Ukraine and air raid sirens rang out across cities in the eastern European country, social media has been abuzz with talk about a heroic Ukrainian pilot, nicknamed the ‘Ghost of Kyiv‘.

The reports about the deeds of the pilot began when a Ukrainian user posted a video of what appeared to be a MiG-29 shooting down a Russian plane, and the video quickly took the internet by storm, and parts of it were shared by various Ukrainian ministers and official or verified Ukrainian pages on social media.

Also read | Russia says it has hit 1,146 military installations in Ukraine since Feb 24

“Ukrainian pilot who is 6-0 shoots down a Russian Su-35 with his Mig-29. He’s been nicknamed the ghost of Kyiv, and is the first pilot since WW2 to achieve ace status!,” a widely shared post read.

Since the video and reports of the pilot’s deeds went viral, former Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko also added to the buzz and posted a photo of a Ukrainian pilot who he claimed was the ‘Ghost of Kyiv’. 

“He has 6 victories over Russian pilots! With such powerful defenders, Ukraine will definitely win!,” Poroshenko wrote.

Also read | President Volodymyr Zelensky submits Ukraine’s official bid to join the EU

With news about the pilot’s heroism spreading like wildfire, fact checkers turned their attention to determine its authenticity, and reports thus far suggest that the ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ may turn out to be a figment of imagination.

According to independent fact checking website Snopes, while a pilot nicknamed the ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ may well exist in the Ukrainian air force, the videos that were shared were false.

Snopes found that the viral video of the pilot shooting down a Russian plane was taken from a free-to-play combat flight simulation video game titled ‘Digital Combat Simulator World’ (DCS World), released in 2008 by Switzerland-based game developer Eagle Dynamics.

While reports of the pilot’s deeds have served as a massive morale booster for Ukrainian forces defending their homeland, available evidence suggests that the pilot may be an urban legend.