Russia shoots down Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet

Tehran - BORNA - This marks a major milestone in the war against Ukraine, as Kyiv had not previously released reports regarding the downing of an F-16 in combat against Russia, and this time the news has been confirmed by Ukrainian media outlets.

Quoting the Military Watch Magazine news website, the Russian Su-35 is a more advanced fighter evolved from the Soviet-class Su-27, which was specifically designed to outperform NATO's F-15 and F-16 fighters and has proven capable in multiple simulated engagements.

The F-16 was designed during the Cold War era as a lighter and less expensive counterpart to the United States Air Force's F-15 fighter, and it is a light, single-engine aircraft.

Reports from Ukrainian sources indicate that the country's air force, faced with significant Russian air superiority, has been forced to adopt new tactics for deploying its F-16 fighters.

In January, a Ukrainian F-16 pilot reported on changes in operational tactics, noting that the Russian Aerospace Forces' Su-35 and Su-57 fighters, along with MiG-31 interceptors, pose the primary aerial threat, conducting combat air patrols at high altitudes and waiting for Ukrainian fighters to take off. Consequently, Ukrainian F-16 fighters could not operate at higher altitudes and were forced to adopt a "low-altitude flight" strategy.

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