Ukrainian air force confirms U.S. soldier killed in Su-27 crash

KIEV, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed on Wednesday that a U.S. soldier was killed in a Su-27 crash in central Ukraine on Tuesday.

"The bodies of the pilots were found. The commander of the crew was Ivan Petrenko ... Another crew member was a serviceman of the U.S. Air National Guard," the Ukrainian Air Force Command said in a statement on Facebook.

The Su-27 fighter jet crashed near the village of Ulaniv in Vinnytsya region during international exercises "Clear Sky - 2018."

"Clear Sky-2018" kicked off in Ukraine on Oct. 8 with the participation of nine countries. The drills run until Oct. 19.