Wartime Death Toll Rises

The ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict has claimed the life of Captain Anton Lystopad, a Ukrainian fighter-pilot whose wartime exploits were honored by his country’s president.

Captain Lystopad’s passing was noted in a Facebook post made by his alma mater, the Physics and Technical Lyceum of Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council, which Lystopad attended from 2005 to 2008. The institution remembered Lystopad as “capable” and “very persistent” before somewhat prosaically stating: "Anton Lystopad, a graduate of the Physics and Technical Lyceum, died defending the Ukrainian state."

In 2019, Lystopad was recognized as the best pilot in Ukraine’s air force. The criteria upon which subject distinction is predicated are unknown, but Lystopad was so honored nonetheless. In August 2021, Lystopad led a contingent of Ukrainian military aircraft in a series of aerial displays celebrating the thirtieth-anniversary of Ukraine’s independence.

In addition to his peacetime aeronautical achievements, Lystopad garnered acclaim for his combat acumen, receiving Ukraine’s prestigious Order of Courage, 3rd class. The award, which recognized the aviator’s courage, bravery, and professionalism, was presented by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky only days before Lystopad’s death.

Captain Anton Lystopad is the latest soldier of Ukraine's armed forces to die in a six-month war.

To date, Russia’s military operations in Ukraine have killed thousands, displaced millions, and badly strained Moscow’s relationship with the international community. Wartime sanctions imposed by Western nations have hobbled Russia’s finance, airline, and manufacturing sectors, but the Russian oil industry—owing primarily to incomprehensibly obtuse U.S. energy policies, is booming. Between March and June 2022, the price of Russian oil averaged over $100-barrel. Recent weeks have seen that price fall to approximately $92-per-barrel—a trend Washington D.C. is calling a victory even as Americans pay the highest gasoline prices in history.

FMI: www.defense.gov