Ukraine's First F-16 Crash Amidst Russian Assault

An F-16 warplane from Ukraine's recent Western deliveries has crashed, marking the country's first loss of this advanced fighter jet. The incident occurred during a major Russian missile and drone barrage. President Zelenskyy confirmed the shootdown of some Russian threats by the F-16s before the crash.

One of the handful of F-16 warplanes that Ukraine received from Western allies to counter Russia's invasion has crashed, the Ukrainian air force announced Thursday.

The fighter jet went down on Monday amidst a significant missile and drone assault by Russia, according to a military statement released on Facebook.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that some of the Russian missiles and drones were intercepted by the F-16s before they reached their targets.

This crash marks the first recorded loss of an F-16 in Ukraine, where approximately six of these aircraft were delivered at the end of last month.