Roman Pryhodko
July 22, 2026
A Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet has scored its first air-to-air victory by shooting down a Russian aircraft.
U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine during a Senate hearing announced this.
The general did not specify the type of Russian aircraft involved or disclose the location, date, or circumstances of the aerial engagement.
According to Caine, Ukraine has significantly strengthened its air defense capabilities over the past several years, enabling its Air Force to deploy fighter jets more effectively.
“We recently witnessed the first air-to-air engagement in which a Ukrainian F-16 shot down a Russian fighter jet. Over the past several years, with the support of many partners, Ukraine has significantly strengthened its layered air defense system,” Caine said during his testimony.
The aircraft is believed to have been a Russian Su-35 fighter jet that was shot down by Ukrainian forces on July 8, 2026.
At the time, the Russian pro-war Voevoda Veshchayet Telegram channel reported that the aircraft had been lost as a result of actions by Ukraine’s Defense Forces, adding that the pilot survived after being rescued.
Later, Russian pro-war Telegram channels started claiming that the aircraft had actually been shot down by a Patriot air defense system after the Russian fighter became engaged in an air battle with Ukrainian aircraft. However, no evidence has been provided to support that claim.
F-16s in the Ukrainian Air Force
The Ukrainian Air Force actively uses F-16 fighter jets both to intercept aerial threats, such as missiles and drones, and to conduct precision strikes against ground targets using guided munitions.
Overall, Ukraine is expected to receive around 100 F-16 fighter jets. The primary suppliers are European countries, with the aircraft being transferred from the air forces of Norway, Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands after undergoing refurbishment and modernization.
Most of the F-16s supplied to Ukraine are neither new nor recently manufactured. The majority of the aircraft were built between 1982 and 1990 and were subsequently upgraded between 2000 and 2015.
However, the fighters are capable of employing the full range of modern NATO weapons compatible with the F-16 platform. This includes the latest AIM-120D radar-guided air-to-air missile, as well as AIM-9X and IRIS-T short-range missiles, and APKWS guided rockets, which provide a low-cost option for intercepting drones.
The aircraft can also carry a wide variety of precision-guided air-to-ground munitions, including laser-guided weapons, JDAM precision-guided bombs in various calibers, Small Diameter Bombs, and potentially ERAM cruise missiles.