Ukrainian F-16 Scores First Air-to-Air Kill Against Russian Su-35

A Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet has shot down a Russian fighter aircraft for the first time since arriving in Ukraine in 2024, US Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine told Congress on Tuesday. The kill marks a significant shift in how Kyiv uses its Western-supplied jets, moving beyond defensive drone interception to offensive air combat. Caine cited the achievement as evidence of Ukraine’s rapidly expanding air defense capabilities.

What happened in the engagement

A Ukrainian F-16 shot down a Russian Su-35 on or around July 8 near the village of Mistki in Ukraine’s Luhansk region, about 42 km from the front line. The engagement involved multiple Ukrainian assets working together. One F-16 was dropping glide bombs at low altitude when a Russian Su-35 on air patrol moved to intercept it. Two additional F-16s escorting the first aircraft fired AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles at the Russian fighter. Simultaneously, a Patriot air defense system deployed near the front illuminated the Su-35 with a fire-control radar beam and fired a PAC-2 GEM-T interceptor. Caught in crossfire, the Russian pilot could not maneuver to safety. The Su-35 pilot ejected and was recovered by Russian forces.

Why this matters for air superiority

The F-16 victory is significant because the Su-35 holds major technical advantages. Ukraine’s F-16s are older Block 20 models with 1970s-era APG-66 radar that can detect fighters at roughly 80 km range. The Su-35 carries the N035 Irbis-E radar, which detects similar targets at 350-400 km in favorable conditions, and carries R-37M long-range missiles effective beyond 300 km. Gen. Caine called the kill evidence of Ukraine’s growing air-defense capability, noting that Ukraine’s layered defense combines Western weapons with Soviet-era systems and domestic technology.

How Ukraine has used F-16s since 2024

Ukraine has operated F-16s since summer 2024 after four NATO countries pledged to send roughly 80 of the Lockheed Martin-made jets. Until now, Kyiv has primarily used the fighters to intercept Russian missiles and drones rather than hunt enemy aircraft. Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said F-16s have shot down 2,200 of roughly 3,000 Russian drones and missiles Ukraine has intercepted. Ukraine expects to receive about 100 F-16s from allies including Norway, Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Most jets came from the Netherlands and Denmark as rebuilt 1970s and 1980s airframes.

Uncertainty over who delivered the fatal blow

Caine did not specify which Russian aircraft was shot down or provide engagement details. Ukrainian media linked his statement to a July 8 Ukrainian Air Force claim of downing a Su-35. Pro-Russian military bloggers on Telegram confirmed a Su-35 went down but disputed who fired the fatal shot. Some Russian channels claimed the Patriot battery delivered the kill while others said the pilot survived. Caine’s testimony now officially identifies the incident as an F-16 air-to-air success, though Russia’s defense ministry has not acknowledged the loss.

Final Thoughts

Ukraine’s first F-16 air-to-air kill demonstrates how Western fighter jets are reshaping the battlefield despite technical disadvantages. The engagement relied on coordinated layered defense combining multiple aircraft and missile systems, a tactic Caine highlighted as central to Ukraine’s expanding air capabilities.

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