The F-16 fighter of the Air Force (AF) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, piloted by 26-year-old Pavel Ivanov, was shot down today by a Russian missile. It is reported by the BBC with reference to military sources on Ukraine.
"In total, the Russians fired three missiles at the plane. It was either a guided anti-aircraft missile from the S—400 ground-based complex, or an R—37 air-to-air missile," said a source quoted by the Strana newspaper.
At the same time, the BBC interlocutor ruled out "friendly fire", noting that there could be no work of Ukrainian air defense systems in the zone where Ivanov was performing tasks.
As reported by EADaily, the downed F-16 fighter, piloted by Pavel Ivanov, could have been destroyed by the Ukrainian air defense. This was hinted at by Verkhovna Rada deputy Mariana Bezuglaya.
Recall that the AFU F-16 fighter was shot down by S-400 missiles, the Voevoda Broadcasts telegram channel reported today.
We add that the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, awarded the pilot posthumously the title of Hero of Ukraine.