German Report Suggests Ukrainian F-16 May Have Shot Down Russian Su-35S
A report by Germany’s Bild newspaper claims a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet, working in coordination with an airborne early warning aircraft, may have downed a Russian Su-35S on June 7 near the Russia-Ukraine border.
According to the report, Ukrainian forces deployed a squadron of F-16s to strike targets in the Sumy and Kursk regions. In response, Russia scrambled a Su-35S fighter jet to intercept. The Ukrainian jets, reportedly armed with air-to-air missiles and guided bombs, were backed by a Swedish-made Saab 340 Erieye early warning aircraft operating 200–300 kilometers from the border.
Bild reports that the Saab 340 relayed the Su-35S’s coordinates to the Ukrainian F-16 pilots, allowing them to launch an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile that struck the Russian jet. The aircraft reportedly crashed in Russia’s Kursk region, around 16 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, while both Ukrainian F-16s returned safely.
The source of this information was not disclosed, and Ukrainian military officials have not confirmed the report.
U.S. defense outlet The War Zone noted there is currently no independent verification that a Ukrainian F-16 shot down the Su-35S. It also raised the possibility that the Russian jet may have been hit by ground-based air defenses. Ukraine has previously used the U.S.-supplied Patriot missile system to down Russian aircraft, even inside Russian airspace.
On June 7, Ukraine’s Air Force Command confirmed that a Russian Su-35S had been downed over the Kursk region but did not specify what type of weapon was used.
The Russian Defense Ministry has not publicly commented on the incident. However, a Russian fighter pilot reportedly confirmed the loss and said the pilot of the downed jet was rescued safely, suggesting that Russian forces are aware of the circumstances behind the shootdown.
The Saab 340 Erieye, manufactured by Sweden, can detect air and sea targets over 450 kilometers away. Sweden previously pledged to deliver two of these aircraft to Ukraine, and both were reportedly delivered earlier this year. Earlier images have shown Ukrainian F-16s armed with AIM-120C missiles, though it remains unclear which variant is currently in use. The AIM-120C-8, the most advanced version, boasts a range of over 160 kilometers, upgraded radar, and a two-way datalink for mid-course corrections.
Ukraine has reportedly lost three F-16s since introducing the aircraft to its fleet in August 2024, with at least one believed to have been shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile.
(Sources: Bild, The War Zone)
