Working Together, Ukrainian F-16s And A Patriot Battery Put Up 'A Decent Fight,' And Shot Down A Russian Su-35
Complex aerial ambush
On July 8, the Ukrainian air force shot down a Russian air force Sukhoi Su-35 fighter over eastern Ukraine. In the heady hours following the shoot-down, Russian channels described an elaborate ambush.
The channels claimed three Ukrainian air force Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters drew the Su-35 into an ambush also involving a Ukrainian air force Patriot surface-to-air missile battery on the ground.
The Ukrainians “actually put up a decent fight today,” Russian channel The Voivode Reports conceded. The Russian pilot reportedly ejected and was rescued.
At the time, it was unclear from the Russian claims whether the F-16s or the Patriot ultimately shot down the Su-35. Now we know: it was an F-16 that delivered the killing blow, apparently by way of a radar-guided AIM-120 missile.
