Whatever Happened to the Ghost of Kyiv? (Part 4)Karaya Karaya– The Ghost of Vinnytsia
Major Vadym Voroshylov
Unlike the other pilots I have covered as part of the Ghost of Kyiv story, Vadym Voroshylov was not of part of the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade. He flies the Mig-29 with the 204th TAB. This will be a slight inaccuracy with my fictional account of the story, as I enjoy having him be Stepen Tarabalka’s wingman. Karaya represents the pilots in my story who live to continue the fight. He does share the distinction of having earned his nation’s highest honor along with Juice, Moonfish, and so many others. In addition, he is part of the ranks of Ukrainian fighter pilots who left the Air Force in 2021 to protest of unsafe training conditions and a bureaucracy which left pilots underpaid and unable to be with their families and loved ones.
Karaya hails from thetown of Krmenchuck, Poltova Oblast, a port city on the Dnipro River between Kyiv and Karkiv. He graduated from Kremenchuk Military Lyceum, the military academy closest to his home, in 2015. Like Juice, Vadym also then attended military training at the Ivan Kozhedub National University of the Air Force and graduated with honors in 2016 where his Master’s degree in aviation management earned him a slot in the 204th.
One of the catalysts for Vadym, Juice, and other quitting the air force in protest was the crash of Antonov An‑26 aircraft near the airfield of Chuhuiv, killing 26 people on board. The safety report blamed the pilot, but Vadym and his comrades were not buying it. Since most of the souls lost were young cadets, it was the last straw. The Kyiv post covered the story and made Vadym their primary interview as one of the most promising young pilots in the Air Force to resign. (Ponomarenko, 2021).
It is safe to assume that Juice, Moonfish, and Karaya would have all stayed in the Air Force if they thought Russia would invade within a year. It is a testament to the insanity of the invasion, and how a slightly divided Ukraine wrecked by a silent invasion of Russian mercenaries would soon be unified against a threat becoming very real. On 24 February 2022 they all scrambled in the dead of night to make sure their families were safe and then get back to a jet as soon as possible. I am not able to confirm when Karaya was able to take to the sky again, but he flew twenty combat missions between the start of the war and 12 October 2022. (Barsukova, 2022)
Karaya and his wingman patrol the skies over Ukraine.
On the morning of October 12, 2022 Vadym shot down three Shahed drones. In the evening, he went hunting for more. He shot down one Turkish drone without incident. The debris of a second drone proved fatal to the aircraft. Many pilots would have ejected right away, but Vadym knew he was over residential areas. He flew the aircraft for as long as he could before he spotted a “patch of black” and ejected. After escaping the flames, Karaya took a short film of his bloodied face and decent and posted the event to Instagram to let his comrades know he was alright. It has now become something of a famous photo, at least in Ukraine. (Barsukova, 2022)
Karaya letting everyone know he’s just fine.
A young couple took the injured pilot into their home and kept him safe until he could be recovered and transported to a hospital. For his efforts in protecting civilians, and for becoming an ace in one day, Karaya was awarded the Order of the Gold Star. He also earned the title, “The Ghost of Vinnystia” from the people of the town he protected.
At this point I can happily write that Karaya’s fight continues. He is something of a minor celebrity in Ukriane, along with Roman Krybov (the man who told the Russian Warship to go F-itself.). He even starred in a commercial recently for several Ukrainian companies who were working together to send care packages to make sure every Ukrainian warrior gets a care package monthly that they can order through a phone app, and several items are paid for or discounted for them. Karaya is shown getting gas and coffee paid for so he doesn’t have these financial worries during the war.
I’m sure Karaya was glad to help promote the government application, but he is much more excited to be flying the F-16. In 2023 Vadym was featured in an Euromaiden Press article advocating for the F-16 like his predecessors Juice and Moonfish. (Sheridan, 2023). With many interviews like this he is making the case over and over about how with enough modern fighters Ukrainians will own the sky.
Karaya with Colonel Volodymyr Logachov - Former Pilot and Commander of the Ukraine Aviation Department (which likely oversees training, I need to confirm).
Yet social media continues to be one of his best assets. His Instagram indicates that while the 40th TAB might have been the first to fly operational Vipers, the 204th is now training on them and preparing to go operational. He wanted to show his gratitude for the aircraft after Zelensky was accused of not being thankful enough in the notorious meeting and made a special video. I know all of this because he regularly updates the same Instagram account from which he posted his famous photo.
Vadym Voroshylov (@___karaya___) • Instagram photos and videos
Karaya continues to carry the torch of the Ghost of Kyiv, and I pray his experience keep him and the other Ukrainian pilots safe. But they will need our help. Call your congressman and tell them to defy the direction the Trump administration is going. America cannot afford to sit on the sidelines of this conflict. We talk a lot about money being spent, but not equipment. Karaya needs jets and patriot SAM systems with proper Link-16 to prevent frat and shoot down even more cruise missiles. More than that, they need the command and control and the numbers to finally drive the Russian Air Force from the skies. Karaya and the Ghosts have them running scared, but if we remember who we are as Americans and really contribute what Ukraine needs once and for all (not piecemeal), the invaders would fly home and never return.
(The following video is in Ukrainian, but you can set closed captions to English)
У Вінниці пілот «Karaya» розповів, як врятувався з палаючого літака - YouTube
Works Cited:
Barsukova, Olena (10 December 2022). Ukrainska Pravda. Hero and "Ghost of Vinnytsia": what is known about pilot with call sign Karaya Retrieved 7 April 2025.
Ponomarenko, Illia (31 July 2021). Kyiv Post. Jet pilots leave Ukraine’s Air Force en masse, threatening security Retrieved 7 April 2025.
Sheridan, Danielle (2 April 2023). The Telegraph. Russians setting traps to take out Ukrainian fighter jets Retrieved 7 April 2025.
