Senior US general says Ukrainian F-16 has shot down Russian fighter jet for first time

General Dan Caine, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said that a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet has recently shot down a Russian fighter jet in air-to-air combat for the first time.

Source: Caine's testimony during a hearing of the US Senate Appropriations Committee in Washington

Details: During the hearing, senior Democratic Senator Richard Durbin asked what impact a potential three-year halt in funding for air defence would have on Ukraine.

In response, Caine spoke about the development of Ukraine's defence capabilities.

Quote: "I want to highlight the incredible work that the Ukraine industrial base is doing as they scale their air-to-air capabilities. It ranges from their surface-to-air capabilities to their air-to-air capabilities."

Details: He described a recent air battle in which a Ukrainian F-16 shot down a Russian fighter jet.

Quote: "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 a long way over the past couple of years with the help and assistance of many."

Background:

• Back in mid-November 2025, the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that Trump had given Congress his "blessing" to pass a long-stalled bill that would impose sanctions on Russia.
• In January 2026, he said that the US president had given the green light to a bipartisan bill on sanctions against Russia.

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