Photo credit: Ukr​aine air forceUkrainian F-16 fighter jet has reportedly achieved its first air-to-air victory against a Russian combat aircraft, with the milestone confirmed by Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine during a US Senate hearing.Speaking before the Senate Appropriations Committee in Washington, DC, Caine said a Ukrainian-operated F-16 had recently shot down a Russian fighter aircraft, marking what appears to be the first confirmed air-to-air kill by Kyiv's Western-supplied F-16 fleet. He did not identify the Russian aircraft, reveal when or where the engagement took place, or specify the weapon used.Responding to a question from Senator Richard Durbin about the possible impact of a three-year pause in funding for Ukraine's air defences, Caine pointed to the incident as evidence of Kyiv's growing capabilities."I’ll note that recently we had the first air-to-air kill where a Ukrainian F-16 shot down a Russian fighter. So I think their ability to scale their layered air defence has come a long, long way over the past couple of years with the help and assistance of many," Caine said.His remarks did not provide further operational details, leaving unanswered questions about the circumstances of the engagement.The incident may have been the July 8 downing of a Russian Su-35S multirole fighter. Ukrainian military officials had announced the aircraft's destruction at the time, while pro-Kremlin Russian military bloggers also acknowledged the loss, claiming the pilot survived and returned safely to base.If the engagement referred to by Caine was indeed the July 8 incident, it would mark the first known air-to-air victory by Ukraine's F-16 fleet since the aircraft entered service in 2024.Ukraine has received F-16s from a coalition of European allies to strengthen its air defence capabilities. The Netherlands has pledged 24 operational aircraft and 18 additional airframes for training and spare parts, while Denmark has committed 19 aircraft, Norway 22 and Belgium 30, bringing the total pledged fleet to around 90 aircraft, with deliveries taking place in phases.