Observers assume the first case of a Russian fighter jet being shot down by a Ukrainian F-16.
On October 12, Russian media reported that an Su-34 fighter jet had crashed and that the crew had died, but there is no official information yet. At the same time, according to a new report by the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the fighter may have been shot down by a Ukrainian F-16.
A prominent Russian military correspondent confirmed the death of the Su-34 crew, but said the loss was unrelated to actions by the Ukrainian side, with other military bloggers suggesting the Su-34 may have crashed as a result of a technical malfunction or human error .
However, a Russian Telegram channel, allegedly run by Airborne Forces officers and members of Russia’s Dnepr group, claimed that a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet was involved in the downing of the Su-34.
“The Telegram channel in question claimed that a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet shot down a Russian Su-34 fighter jet when it was dropping FAB guided bombs with unified planning and correction modules at a distance of about 50 km from the front line,” the analysts wrote.
The claim is also accompanied by accusations against Kremlin-linked military correspondents of lying about the Su-34 crash and preventing Russian forces from developing plans to counter the threat posed by Ukrainian F-16s, OFFNews writes.
ISW could not independently confirm the message on the Russian Telegram channel, but if it happened, this incident would be the first time that the Ukrainians shot down a Russian manned aircraft with the help of a Western F-16 fighter jet,” the report said.