SRINAGAR: Russian forces have claimed to have shot down a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet using an S-300 air defence system near a contested area, RT reported.
A Russian commander, identified by the call-sign “Sever”, told local media that the US-supplied fighter was intercepted after his unit fired two missiles in succession, with the first striking and damaging the aircraft and the second destroying it. He described the F-16 as the “most interesting target” his battery had encountered but did not specify when the incident occurred.
🚨⚡️BREAKING AND UNUSUAL
The Russian army shoots down a Ukrainian F-16 fighter with just two missiles and mocks Western propaganda that described it as “supernatural”!
S-300 battalion commander reveals:
“This fighter is the most exciting target for us… The first missile… pic.twitter.com/bE1vTzgiT0
— RussiaNews 🇷🇺 (@mog_russEN) January 12, 2026
According to Sever, the operation followed prolonged tracking and preparation. He said Ukrainian forces had portrayed the aircraft as invulnerable, adding that the interception demonstrated otherwise.
The commander further claimed that since late December 2024, Russian air defence units equipped with S-300 systems have shot down several aerial targets, including NATO-supplied aircraft operating over Ukraine.
Ukraine began receiving F-16 fighter jets in August 2024 and has acknowledged losing four of them in combat. Media reports say Kyiv has so far taken delivery of 44 of the 87 aircraft pledged by European allies.
Since the conflict began in 2022, both sides have reported significant losses. Russia has confirmed the loss of fighter jets, Ka-52 attack helicopters and various rescue and reconnaissance assets, while Ukraine has lost dozens of aircraft as well as hundreds of tanks and armoured vehicles, including APCs and IFVs, during the fighting.
