Ukraine Loses Third F-16 During Engagement with Russian Forces

<p >The Ukrainian Armed Forces have confirmed the combat loss of a third <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/biden-hits-major-missile-upgrade-ukraine-f16">F-16 fourth generation fighter</a>, which was destroyed on May 16 during an engagement with Russian targets thought to be drones or cruise missiles. The pilot was rescued and taken to hospital following the incident, making him the first Ukrainian F-16 pilot to survive the destruction of his aircraft. Ukraine’s F-16s have operated far behind the frontlines to avoid engagements with Russian fighters, interceptors or ground based air defence systems, with the aircraft lacking the modern sensors or data links needed to remain survivable against such targets. Against subsonic missiles and drones, however, the fighters have repeatedly proven capable for basic air defence duties. The Ukrainian Air Force was <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/conflicting-reports-ukraine-first-f16-loss">confirmed </a>on August 26 to have lost its first F-16 under unclear circumstances just 25 days after deliveries began. On April 12 it was confirmed that a second F-16 had been shot down by Russian air defences, with a very long range 40N6 surface-to-air missile thought to have been used to engage the aircraft deep inside Ukrainian controlled airspace. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/05/18/article_6829381fc07203_07932941.webp" title="Ukrainian Air Force F-16"></p><p >The cause of the latest loss of an F-16 remains unknown, with some sources speculating that the fighter may have lost control when intercepting targets or crashed into one of the drones it was targeting. Ukrainian reports that the F-16 was engaging targets using its cannon, rather than missiles, indicates that this may be a possibility. A second shootdown by Russian aircraft also remains a not insignificant possibility. Ukraine has been pledged 80 flightworthy F-16s as aid, including 30 from Belgium 24 from the Netherlands, 19 from Denmark, and 12 from Norway. Additional non-flightworthy airframes have been pledged by Norway and the United States and are intended to be cannibalised for spare parts. All F-16s pledged are early Cold War era variants, and have been flown for decades, which has significantly raised their maintenance needs and operational costs. The age of the fighters means their avionics are also considered long since obsolete, placing them at an <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ukrainian-f16s-game-changer-russia">overwhelming </a>disadvantage against modern Russian frontline fighters. </p><p >In March Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yuri Ignat provided insight into the capabilities of the service’s F-16s, stating that they were incapable of engaging Russian <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/su35-dud-ten-years-expect">Su-35 ‘4+ generation’ fighters</a>. “The modifications that Ukraine has cannot compete one-on-one in an air battle. We need a comprehensive approach as the [Russian] Su-35 is a relatively new jet… This includes ground-based air defence, electronic warfare systems, and ideally, an airborne radar. Also crucial are onboard radars for our aircraft and air-to-air missiles,” he observed.</p>