By Olha Hembik | 2025-06-23

WARSAW -- A Ukrainian F-16 has shot down a Russian Su-35 fighter jet over the skies near Kursk, a rare air-to-air kill that challenges Moscow's claims of air superiority and marks a new phase in Ukraine's use of Western-supplied jets.

The June 7 engagement, reported by German outlet Bild June 8, is said to be the first public instance of an F-16 in Ukrainian service downing one of Russia's most advanced combat aircraft.

"Vladimir Putin's megafighter was destroyed, dealing a shameful blow to the Russian dictator," wrote Bild military analyst Julian Röpcke. The Russian pilot reportedly ejected and survived.

The Su-35 is one of Russia's top fighters. Armed with guided bombs and long-range missiles, it has targeted Ukrainian positions and is claimed by Moscow to outperform all Ukrainian jets except the US F-22.

A tandem effort

Military-political correspondent Yuri Fedorov credited Ukrainian forces with skillful planning in the downing of a Russian Su-35, describing the engagement as a coordinated effort involving two aircraft.

Speaking on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Fedorov said a Swedish-built Saab 340 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) plane detected the Russian jet 200 to 300km away and relayed its location to the F-16.

The F-16, firing without visual contact, launched an AIM-120 missile that downed the Su-35 near Korenovo in Kursk province, Russia.

"This is the first-ever real-world duel . . . the Su-35 is a new model in Russian military aircraft construction. It was considered much more powerful than the F-16 based on its potential. Nevertheless . . . it didn't prevail in the confrontation," Fedorov said.

Canadian pilot and aviation watcher Mark Brooks praised the AEW&C plane's performance on X, saying it is "now detecting Russian aircraft hundreds of KM away in real time and directing missiles fired by the F16."

"The SU35 never even knew it was being engaged," he said.

The Ukrainian pilots involved returned safely to base.

A trap for the fighter

The Su-35 pilot had grown overconfident operating in Russian airspace near Kursk, said aviation specialist Konstantin Krivolap.

"It [the pilot and plane] had become rather bold. It was flying constantly and was confident it was safe. We robbed it of that safety," he told Kontur.

Krivolap described the Su-35 as one of Russia's most advanced fighters, with electronic warfare systems, threat sensors and long-range missiles that make it "practically invincible."

Its radar sees more than twice as far as that of an F-16, Mirage or MiG-29, and its missiles can reach twice the distance, he said. He cited a case where an Su-35 hit a Ukrainian aircraft from 230km away.

"This plane is a heavyweight. This was an operation to lure [the Su-35] into a trap. They simply tricked it."

Polish military analyst Jerzy Mazur called the Su-35's destruction "the latest humiliation for Russia."

"This is outright an effective battle between a NATO aircraft and a fourth-generation Russian fighter," Mazur, a retired Polish army officer and former peacekeeper, told Kontur. The loss could cost Russia hundreds of millions of dollars and deal a significant reputational blow, he said.

The incident may force Russia to adapt its tactics and keep greater distance, he added, warning that "the reputation of Russia's entire war machine is at stake."

Russians with "no eyes"

The Su-35's destruction was made possible, in part, by earlier Ukrainian strikes on Russian AEW&C aircraft, Fedorov said.

In early 2024, Ukraine shot down two A-50 or A-50U planes over the Sea of Azov near Krasnodar province, Russia. Ukrainian forces damaged another at Belarus's Machulishchy air base in 2022 and destroyed or damaged another one in a recent special operation known as Spider's Web.

The downing of another A-50U would be "fantastic," Krivolap said, noting that Russia now has only a few of the aircraft left.

Its loss would have left Russia with "no eyes," he said, adding that A-50s have recently avoided approaching Ukrainian airspace.

Without these aircraft, Russia will struggle to fight effectively in the air, according to Fedorov.

"That means that [the Russians] are going to lose the air battles," he said. "One thing that proves that . . . is the destruction of the Su-35."

Ukraine used coordinated tactics involving multiple aircraft to destroy an A-50 last year, said Fedorov.

"You need to skillfully come up with a strategy to use these clusters," he said. "If you're smart about how you put [everything] together, the threat from the KABs [precision-guided bombs] will be significantly smaller."

Scale of losses

The F-16 fulfilled the role it was expected to play when introduced into Ukraine's arsenal, said Fedorov.

"They were meant to drive the Russians' bombers away from Ukraine's airspace and away from the borders from which they could drop KABs or use air-to-surface guided missiles," he said.

He described the downing of the Su-35 as an event that broadened the F-16's role beyond deterrence.

Russia is likely analyzing its aviation losses and will seek new tactics to regain control of the skies, Fedorov added.

Russian aviation lacks the ability to operate in coordinated formations, Mykhailo Strelnikov, founder of the Museum of Victory over Despotism in Poland, said.

"The F-16 is no longer a modern plane, but like all Western equipment, it is designed for cooperation," Strelnikov told Kontur. "This even encompasses cooperation among several service branches, including satellite communications. It's an organic system that strikes the enemy."

This kind of integration is uncharacteristic of the Russian military, said Strelnikov. "Just like in the Soviet era, the Russians are accustomed to doing everything alone," he explained.

The Ukrainian air force has destroyed 15 Su-35s since the start of the Russian full-scale invasion, Ivan Tymochko, chairman of the Council of Reservists of Ukrainian Ground Forces, said on Channel 24, TSN reported in June. Unofficial estimates suggest the number may exceed 25.