A Russian Aerospace Forces Su-35S lengthy vary air superiority fighter has engaged and shot down a Ukrainian Air Power F-16AM fighter at past visible ranges utilizing a radar guided air-to-air missile, in keeping with native sources. The missile launch, an R-77 or R-37M, is reported to have been recorded by Ukrainian monitoring channels. The engagement, if confirmed, would make a landmark in Ukraine’s operation of the F-16, as whereas a number of of the plane having already been misplaced in fight, none had been beforehand reported to have been shot down in air-to-air fight. The Su-35 is a sophisticated spinoff of the Soviet Su-27 air superiority fighter, which was designed particularly to have the ability to outperform NATO F-15 and F-16 fighters, and proved able to doing a number of of simulated engagements. The F-16 was designed as a lighter and more cost effective counterpart to the U.S. Air Power’s premier Chilly Conflict period air superiority fighter the F-15, and is a light-weight single engine plane the place the F-15 and Su-35 are heavyweight twin engine plane.
Important questions stay relating to the personnel flying theF-16, with French safety outlet Intelligence On-line being amongst a number of sources to have reported {that a} squadron of veteran U.S. Air Power and Royal Netherlands Air Power pilots had been working the plane for the Ukrainian Air Power. A scarcity of educated Ukrainian pilots was recognized at an early stage as the first impediment to integrating the NATO-standard fighters into the Air Power, which has all through its historical past operated solely Soviet origin fighter varieties. The choice to produce F-16s to Ukraine adopted heavy losses to its giant Soviet-built MiG-29, Su-24M and Su-27 fighter fleets, regardless of a replenishment of MiG-29s which had been equipped from throughout Jap Europe. The F-16s equipped second hand from European inventories haven’t been modernised to twenty first century requirements, and have lengthy since been thought of out of date.
Ukrainian sources have repeatedly warned that F-16s and French equipped Mirage 2000 fighters are wholly incapable of matching the capabilities of superior Russian fighters just like the Su-35, with Ukrainian Air Power spokesman Yuri Ignat having noticed on June 3, 2025: “Sadly, at this time Russia has jets that see farther and missiles that fly farther. That’s even when in comparison with F-16s. Additionally they have highly effective air defences, which work in tandem with aviation.” Ignat in March in contrast the F-16 to the Su-35 particularly stating: “The modifications that Ukraine has can not compete one-on-one in an air battle. We want a complete strategy because the [Russian] Su-35 is a comparatively new jet… This contains ground-based air defence, digital warfare techniques, and ideally, an airborne radar. Additionally essential are onboard radars for our plane and air-to-air missiles.”
Reviews from Ukrainian sources point out that the Air Power has been compelled to undertake new techniques to function its F-16s within the face of a big Russian air superiority benefit. Commenting on the modifications to operational techniques, a Ukrainain F-16 pilot reported in January that Russian Aerospace Forces Su-35 and Su-57 fighters and MiG-31 interceptors constituted the primary aerial risk, and carried out fight air patrols at excessive altitudes, ready for Ukrainian fighters to take off. Ukrainian F-16s thus couldn’t function at increased altitudes, and had been compelled to undertake a “low-altitude flight” technique. Terrain masking proved in a position to considerably scale back the effectiveness of Russian radar monitoring and missile seekers, as floor muddle interferes with Russian sensors and made it troublesome for them to lock onto targets.
Corroborating Ukrainian stories, a report by CEO of the Russian state expertise conglomerate Rostec Sergey Chemezov in November 2025 reported that Ukraine’s F-16 and Mirage 2000 fighters had been compelled to function completely at low altitudes in airspace far behind the frontlines to keep away from being focused by Russian fighters, singling out the function of the Su-35 particularly. “The Su-35S has pushed enemy plane low, forcing them to fly at minimal altitudes and in rear areas. In the meantime, the Su-35S engages targets at distances of tons of of kilometres. That’s the reason enemy plane can not strategy the frontlines to launch air-to-air missiles. This contains American F-16s and French-made Mirages,” he noticed. Though the Su-35 retains comfy dominance over Ukraine’s F-16s, its capability to interact new generations of U.S. and Chinese language fifth technology fighters such because the F-35 and J-20, which at present lead the world by way of sophistication, has more and more been referred to as to query.
