This incident marks the first time an American-made F-16 fighter jet has been shot down by the Russian S-400 air defense system.
On April 12, Russian air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian Air Force F-16AM fighter jet over the Sumy region, reportedly using a missile launched from the advanced S-400 system.
Initial reports suggested the Ukrainian aircraft was downed during an aerial battle with a Russian Su-35S fighter jet from the Russian Aerospace Forces.
However, according to eyewitnesses, the Ukrainian F-16AM exploded in a fireball—a typical result when a jet is struck by a surface-to-air missile, likely fired from the S-400 battery operating in the area. Witnesses told Russian officials they saw air defense missiles streak into the sky at the same time the jet was visible overhead.