U.S. Joint Chiefs Chair Confirms First Ukrainian F-16 Air-to-Air Kill of Russian Su-35

Published Jul 23, 08:07 PM UTC

A Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet shot down a Russian Su-35 in the first confirmed air-to-air kill by Kyiv's American-supplied aircraft, according to U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine. Speaking to a Senate committee, Caine praised Ukraine's growing air defense capabilities despite the F-16s being older 1970s/80s models, while Russia's Su-35 is a modern fighter with superior radar and missile range. Ukraine's air force spokesman reported that F-16s have intercepted 2,200 of 3,000 Russian drones and missiles. Russia has not acknowledged the loss, but pro-Russian bloggers confirmed the Su-35 went down with the pilot ejecting safely. The kill marks a milestone in Ukraine's air power evolution, as allies sign new arms deals and Ukraine's drone industry scales to over 100,000 units per month.