Ukrainian air forces shot down Russian aircraft for the first time using a Western-supplied F-16 fighter jet. This aerial combat in the Kursk direction marked a historic victory for Kyiv.
This was reported by Bild.
It is noted that the dogfight took place on June 7 over northeastern Ukraine. As part of the defense of the Sumy region, the Ukrainian Air Force used the jets to bomb enemy positions both within Ukraine and in Russia’s Kursk region.
In response, the Russians deployed a modern Su-35 fighter jet. However, the Russian pilot fell into an ambush.
Alongside the F-16, Ukraine also deployed a Swedish Saab 340 AEW&C aircraft, which detected the enemy jet 200–300 km from the border and transmitted its coordinates to the F-16.
According to the report, the Ukrainian F-16 launched an AIM-120 missile, which shot down the Su-35 near the town of Koreneve in Russia’s Kursk region.
The Russian pilot managed to eject, while the Ukrainian fighter jets returned to base without any losses.
“It’s not just about the F-16 – the real game-changer was the Swedish AWACS system, which can detect Russian aircraft hundreds of kilometers away and guide F-16 missiles in real time.
The Su-35 didn’t even know it was under attack,” wrote Canadian pilot and aviation expert Mark Brooks on his social media page on X.
In addition, the analytical portal Air Power emphasized that this was the first air battle involving a Ukrainian F-16. What’s more, the Russian aircraft was shot down by a Dutch-modified F-16AM, which many experts had already considered outdated.
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