Ukrainian pilots claim major victory with downing of Russian Su-35S
Yesterday, the Ukrainian Air Force shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-35S air superiority fighter in an engagement that is claimed to have included Ukrainian F-16s and a MIM-104 Patriot SAM system. This comes a week after a Russian Su-35S was reported to have shot down an ageing Ukrainian MiG-29.
Russian Su-35S shot down by Ukrainian Air Force
The incident was confirmed by Ukrainian and Russian sources with multiple videos and images of the downed aircraft. That said, the details are less clear.
Russian sources, like the prominent military blogger Kirill Fedorov, said that the Su-35S was systematically hunted down in a coordinated Ukrainian engagement.
The Russian Telegram channel Fighterbomber is believed to have connections with the Russian Air Force. Fighterbomber described the engagement as (with coarse language in Russian) “Yes, it was an interesting and eventful engagement. Three enemy aircraft plus a Patriot [air defence system] against one of ours.
It added, “Unfortunately, we acted predictably, while the Ukrainians didn’t. What’s more, our fighter pilot didn’t chicken out—he went up alone against two F-16s.”
Reports indicated that the Russian pilot managed to eject and was rescued.
The crash and the aftermath, with the wreckage on the ground, were captured by drone footage. As the aircraft plummeted to the ground, it was engulfed in a fireball and caught in a flat spin.
Moment a Russian Su-35 crashes after being shot down by the Ukrainian Air Force, followed by footage of the wreckage on the ground. https://t.co/CWLqIHW38S pic.twitter.com/JY72gojN2P
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) July 8, 2026
The OSINT account Ukraine Control Map posted, “Russian Su-35 crash site, 42 km from the front. They probably thought they were further from the front using Russian maps…” This is a reference to Russia claiming to control much more territory than it actually does.
A major milestone for the Ukrainian Air Force
Fedorov noted that the Ukrainian victory marks a major milestone for the Ukrainian Air Force. If the details are true, this would be one of Ukraine’s first complex, multi-domain air-to-air victories with its newly integrated Western platforms.
Ukraine has also received one or two ex-Swedish Saab 340 AEW&C aircraft, although it’s unclear if they played any role.
While there have been other claims of Ukrainian F-16s shooting down a Russian Su-35S in June 2025, this incident has some of the strongest reporting.
It is also noteworthy that Ukraine’s F-16s are old retired European fighter jets, while the Su-35S is Russia’s premier air superiority fighter. Russia does have its Su-57, but that platform remains immature, available in low numbers, and most recently tasked with hunting Ukrainian drones.
‼️‼️🇺🇦🇷🇺 BIG | A high-stakes air-to-air confrontation has culminated in the downing of a premier Russian Su-35S multirole fighter jet, triggering intense damage control across prominent Russian military propaganda channels.
— Visioner (@visionergeo) July 8, 2026
Prominent Russian military blogger Kirill Fedorov… pic.twitter.com/RjCBqD7mZr
Going forward, Ukraine is looking to receive its first Gripen Cs from Sweden in 2027, armed with Meteor air-to-air missiles. These are widely regarded as the most (or one of the most) advanced air-to-air missiles on the market and are thought to outrange anything Russia has.
Get the latest aerospace defence news here on AGN.
A bad period for Russian military aviation
The last few weeks have been bad for Russian military aviation in its Ukraine and Mali theatres. In June, Russia also lost another rare operational Tu-22M3 bomber in a mishap.
🔥In Mali, a Russian Mi-24 helicopter was shot down near the town of Anefis. The entire crew was killed in the crash. pic.twitter.com/2Cx9XCaFOh
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) July 5, 2026
A Russian Mi-24 (Hind) attack helicopter (operated by Russia’s Africa Corps) was shot down around the 4th of July in Mali, with confirmation footage. One or two more helicopters and a Su-24 were reportedly shot down, but confirmation for these claims is lacking.
On the 2nd of July, a Russian Ka-52 (Alligator attack helicopter was shot down by friendly fire as it attempted to intercept Ukrainian drones. Ukraine also destroyed a MiG-29 on the ground at the end of June, although this may have been an old Ukrainian aircraft seized following Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Some reports also claimed to have destroyed one or two Su-35S on the ground, although evidence for these strikes has not emerged. Ukraine has carried out a range of strikes on several Russian air bases, and it is unclear if fighter jets have been lost.
Featured Image: Dmitry Terekhov/Wikimedia Commons
