The 'Ghost of Kyiv', as the pilot was dubbed online, became an internet sensation in the opening days of Russia’s invasion.

It was claimed the ace had shot down six Russian jets on the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In wartime, a pilot is declared an 'ace' once they have shot down five enemy planes.

Footage on social media purported to show the pilot, flying a MiG-29 fighter, flying overhead at low altitude.

Former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko tweeted his support for 'the Ghost' once news of their escapades surfaced.

"He causes terror in enemies and pride in Ukraine... With such powerful defenders, Ukraine will definitely win!"

Fact-checkers from Snopes.com found the famous footage was not all it seemed to be.

Snopes’ Dan Evon found that the video was actually from Digital Combat Simulator, a combat-simulation video game.

The video was actually created as a tribute to the supposed ace by YouTube user Comrade Corb.

In late April Ukrainian fighter pilot Stepan Tarabalka was confirmed to have been killed – was this the ‘Ghost of Kyiv’?

The Ukrainian air force said no, explaining the Ghost “embodies the collective spirit” of their pilots.

So while the stories of the 'Ghost' may be just a fantasy, the stunting of Russian air dominance by Ukrainian pilots is very real.

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