The United States confirms the downing of a Russian fighter by a Ukrainian F-16 fighter

Despite being in service for over 50 years, the F-16 Fighting Falcon remains an excellent multi-purpose combat aircraft.

An F-16 fighter jet defeated the larger and more modern Russian Su-35S with a little Swedish help
The new tactics implemented by the Ukrainian Air Force with its F-16 fighters

Last year I already addressed here the downing of a Russian Su-35S fighter by a Ukrainian F-16, possibly an F-16AM donated by the Netherlands and which used an AIM-120 AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missile. On July 8, 2026, news broke of another Russian Su-35 shot down, information confirmed by both Ukrainian and Russian sources.

This Tuesday, July 21, General John Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed the downing of a Russian fighter jet by a Ukrainian F-16: "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."

General Caine made that announcement during a Senate hearing. Although he did not specify the model, it is likely referring to the air combat of July 8. That same day, a Russian source confirmed that the Russian pilot ejected and was rescued by his military, and also noted that the downed aircraft was a Su-35, a more modern and advanced aircraft than the F-16s used by Ukraine, which are all second-year aircraft with many years of service.

The Su-35S made its first flight in 2008 and is currently one of the main fighter jets of the Russian Air Force. Russia has been progressively losing control of Ukrainian airspace due to Ukrainian air defenses and the appearance of new fighter jets donated to Ukraine by allied countries, such as the F-16 and the Mirage 2000. According to the independent website oryxspioenkop.com, Russia has already lost 188 aircraft in this war, 159 of them destroyed and 29 damaged.

According to figures published by that source, Russia has lost 142 combat aircraft (fighters and attack aircraft), including a Su-57 stealth aircraft that was damaged in a Ukrainian attack on a Russian base in June 2024. Including the downing on July 8, Russia has now lost 9 Su-35S fighters. The same source indicates that Ukraine has lost 4 F-16s and 1 Mirage 2000. Forecasts indicate that Ukraine expects to receive more than 100 F-16s from various countries.

---

Main photo: Ukrainian Air Force.