Russia shoots down US-made F-16 jet operated by Ukraine: Commander

Russia’s air defense systems have shot down a US-made F-16 Eagle fighter jet operated by Ukraine, a Russian commander says.

The commander, identified by the callsign ‘Sever,’ said on Sunday that the country’s S-300 air defense systems detected and destroyed an American supplied F-16 Eagle fighter jet.

The S-300 air defense system fired two missiles at the F-16, with the first damaging the aircraft and the second “delivering the final blow,” he said.

“It took us a lot of time to prepare for this operation. We were tracking it and anticipating it. The enemy boasted that these planes were indestructible. As it turns out, they fall out of the sky just like the rest,” he added.

He, however, did not say when the incident occurred.

Ukraine received its first F-16 fighter jets from the US and its European allies during the administration of former President Joe Biden in August 2024.

Ukrainian President President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the time, “As we speak, the transfer of F-16 jets is underway, coming from Denmark, coming from the Netherlands.”

US President Donald Trump has continued the policy. In May of 2025, Washington signed a 300 million dollar agreement for the sale of F-16 fighter jets, related equipment, and components to Ukraine.

According to Business Insider, Kiev has officially received 44 of the 87 jets promised by its Western supporters.

Zelensky has repeatedly claimed that the supply of more F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine can dramatically change the course of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The evidence on the ground, however, suggests that the F-16s have not been able to stop the Russian army’s progress across the frontlines.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict began in 2022, after years of Western economic and political interference in Kiev destabilized the region, forcing Russia to militarily intervene in order to protect its interests and prevent the ethnic cleansing of Ukrainians of Russian descent.

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