The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have shot down a Russian fighter jet with an F-16 for the first time, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said. “Recently, we witnessed the first air-to-air engagement in which a Ukrainian F-16 shot down a Russian fighter jet. Over the past several years, thanks to the support of many partners, Ukraine has significantly strengthened its layered defense system,” Caine said during a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The general was asked how a halt in funding for air defense could affect Ukraine. Caine replied that Kyiv is doing an “incredible job” developing its own defense industry. “This ranges from their surface-to-air capabilities to their air-to-air capabilities,” the general noted. At the beginning of July this year, the Ukrainian Air Force reported the destruction of another Russian Su-35 multirole fighter in the eastern sector. The Ukrainian military did not specify what weapons system was used to shoot down the aircraft.

Ukraine first began using American F-16 fighter jets in the summer of 2024. According to Defense Express, the AFU currently has about 39 of these combat aircraft, transferred to Kyiv by the Netherlands and Denmark. Norway has also pledged to supply six aircraft, and Belgium up to 53. Thus, by 2030, the Ukrainian army could have up to 98 F-16s in service. Ukraine uses the fighter jets primarily to intercept Russian Kalibr and Kh-101 cruise missiles, as well as Geran-5 drones.

In February 2026, the French publication Intelligence Online reported that an F-16 squadron had been formed in Ukraine that for the first time included veteran pilots from the United States and the Netherlands. The unit’s mission became protecting the skies over Kyiv Oblast, which is regularly subjected to massive Russian strikes. According to the publication, the American and Dutch pilots signed temporary contracts with the AFU that provide for rotation every six months and the possibility of extension. Unlike Ukrainian pilots, Western aviators know how to operate the high-tech equipment of F-16 fighter jets, Intelligence Online noted.