Ukrainian F-16 shoots down Russian Su-35 in historic first

Bild reported the information.

In what Bild describes as a "historic air battle victory for Ukraine," a Western-supplied F-16 fighter jet has, for the first time ever, shot down a Russian Su-35 “Super Flanker.” The engagement, which took place over northeastern Ukraine on Saturday, marks a major milestone in modern aerial warfare.

According to Bild, the clash occurred during Ukrainian defensive operations in the Sumy region. The Ukrainian Air Force reportedly deployed F-16s equipped with radar-guided air-to-air missiles and GPS-guided glide bombs to strike Russian targets. But this mission had more than just firepower — it was coordinated with high-tech surveillance.

Key to the operation was a Swedish Saab 340AEW Erieye early warning aircraft, one of two such systems donated by Sweden to Ukraine. The Erieye, flying alongside the Ukrainian fighters, tracked a Russian Su-35 as it approached from Kursk, likely still 200–300 kilometers away from the border, Bild reported. Once in range, the Swedish AWACS aircraft transmitted targeting data to the F-16, allowing it to fire an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile, which struck the Russian jet from a distance of about 50 kilometers.

"The SU35 never even knew it was being engaged," Canadian pilot and aviation expert Mark Brooks said on X. "Not just an F16, the elephant in the room is a Swedish AWAS system now detecting Russian aircraft hundreds of KM away in real time and directing missiles fired by the F16."

The Su-35 reportedly crashed inside Russian territory, near the town of Korenevo in Russia’s Kursk region — approximately 16 kilometers from the border. According to Russian sources cited by Bild, the pilot ejected safely. The Ukrainian jets returned unharmed.

Bild notes that this was not just a tactical win, but also a symbolic one. Russia currently has fewer than ten operational Su-35s — considered some of its most advanced air superiority fighters. The loss of one to an F-16, particularly a Dutch F-16AM variant many had deemed outdated, signals a significant blow.

The aviation platform Air Power added on X, “If confirmed, it would mark the first air-to-air kill by a Ukrainian Viper. More significantly, it would mean that Russia’s top-tier Flanker was brought down by an ex-Dutch F-16AM, a variant many had considered past its prime.”

How many Su-35 fighters have been destroyed so far?

Earlier, the head of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Reserves Council Ivan Tymochko said that since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, about 15 cases of downing Russian Su-35 aircraft have been confirmed. He noted that, according to unconfirmed figures, more than 25 fighters were shot down.

"And taking into account that the entire Russian military-industrial complex has produced about 125 of these Su-35s, including those that have been exported and those that are in Russia. We understand that this is the third or fourth part of the Su-35 fleet," Tymochko said.