A Russian commander said that his S-300 air defense battery shot down a US-made F-16 fighter jet operating in Ukraine.
In an interview broadcast on local television on January 11, the commander codenamed Sever said that the aircraft provided by the US was the "most interesting target" his unit had ever faced.
According to Mr. Sever, the S-300 battery launched 2 missiles aimed at the F-16, in which the first missile "damaged" the aircraft, and the second missile "kicked it off".
We spent a lot of time preparing for this operation. We followed and waited for the time. The enemy once boasted that these planes could not be shot down. But it turned out they also fell from the sky like any other type," Mr. Sever said, but did not specify when the shooting occurred.
Ukraine has not made any comments on this incident.
Ukraine began receiving F-16 fighters in August 2024 and has now confirmed the loss of 4 aircraft in combat.
According to data collected from international media, Kiev has officially received 44 out of a total of 87 F-16s committed to be transferred by European countries.
