Russian army affirms taking down Ukrainian F-16 jet
(MENAFN) Russian military forces have confirmed the downing of a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet, marking the first time Moscow has reported destroying one of the fourth-generation aircraft since they were delivered to Ukraine by Western nations last summer.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Sunday that an F-16, part of the Ukrainian Air Force, was shot down by air defense systems. No additional details were provided in the brief statement.
Earlier, the Ukrainian Air Force had reported the loss of the aircraft on Saturday, prompting the establishment of an interdepartmental commission to investigate the cause of the incident. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later confirmed that pilot Pavel Ivanov was killed "during a combat mission" involving the F-16 and vowed a "strong and precise" response, implying that Russia was responsible for the downing.
A government source suggested to BBC Ukraine that the F-16 was hit by three Russian missiles, either from an S-400 surface-to-air system or an R-37 air-to-air missile. The source ruled out friendly fire, claiming that Ukrainian air defenses were not active in the area.
This marks the second confirmed loss of an F-16 since Ukraine began receiving the jets. The first incident occurred in August 2024, though details of the investigation were never made public, with media reports indicating the possibility of a friendly fire incident.
Despite receiving pledges from Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway to supply up to 80 F-16s, the aircraft have had limited combat use in Ukraine, primarily deployed for air defense rather than close combat due to concerns over their vulnerability against Russian forces.
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