On June 7, the Ukrainian Air Force claimed to have shot down a Russian Su-35S Flanker-E fighter jet in the Kursk area, marking a new loss for the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) amid the ongoing conflict. The announcement was made through a brief official statement on a Telegram channel, in which the action was described as a successful operation, although no further details were provided about the engagement or the means employed.
Images released through Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) showing the remains of the aircraft support the Ukrainian version. On the Russian side, there has not yet been a formal confirmation from the Kremlin. At the same time, visual footage was also circulated of the Russian Aerospace Forces’ attempt to rescue the pilot.
One of the aspects that has generated the most speculation is the possible use of an F-16 fighter jet from the Ukrainian Air Force in the shootdown. Various unofficial sources have put forward this hypothesis, mentioning that the Russian aircraft may have been hit by an AMRAAM air-to-air missile launched by one of the Western jets recently transferred to Ukraine. However, at this time, there is no concrete evidence to support this version, and it has not been officially confirmed by Kyiv or its international partners. Consequently, it should be considered only as a mere possibility.
Nonetheless, if this scenario were to be confirmed, it would represent the first air-to-air kill carried out by a Ukrainian F-16 since its introduction into the force, marking an operational milestone. There is also speculation that these missions may be supported by Swedish Saab 340 AEW&C early warning and control aircraft (ASC 890), whose transfer was recently announced.
With this new incident, the total number of Su-35S fighters lost by Russia since the beginning of the full-scale invasion has risen to at least eight units. Furthermore, this shootdown comes just days after a drone attack carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) against several Russian air bases, in which more than 40 aircraft, including Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers, were reportedly damaged or destroyed. The combination of these actions reflects increased pressure on Russian air assets, both on the ground and in the air.
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