A Ukrainian-operated F-16 fighter jet has shot down a Russian combat aircraft for the first time since the aircraft entered service with Ukraine, according to Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General John Caine.
Speaking during a hearing before the US Senate Budget Committee, Caine said Ukraine has significantly strengthened its layered air defense capabilities over the past several years with support from international partners. He also praised the country's growing defense industry, saying it has expanded its military capabilities across multiple areas, including both ground-to-air and air-to-air systems.
The senior US military officer's remarks follow an announcement by the Ukrainian Air Force on July 8 that it had destroyed a Russian Su-35 fighter jet. Caine indicated that the engagement marked the first known air-to-air victory by an F-16 in Ukrainian service.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had struck logistics centers in Russia's Krasnodar and Stavropol regions that he said were supplying drone components and other military equipment to the Russian army.
Russia has rejected those claims, denying that the Wildberries logistics center mentioned by Ukraine has been used for military purposes.
