US EditionRussian troops nab $192K for downing Ukraine’s first F-16 jet
- In late May 2025, a group of a dozen Russian soldiers were awarded a total of 15 million rubles near the border following their involvement in shooting down Ukraine’s first American-supplied F-16 fighter jet.
- The payment fulfilled a December 2024 pledge by Fores, a Russian company that offers bounties for destroying Western-supplied military hardware including tanks and jets.
- The F-16, first delivered to Ukraine in July 2024 as part of Western military aid, symbolizes a significant escalation in Kyiv’s air capabilities amidst ongoing conflict since February 2022.
- Sergei Shmotyev, director of Fores, announced that the company offered a reward of 15 million rubles for the initial downing of an F-16 combat aircraft, emphasizing the importance of this target.
- This award underscores Russia’s efforts to counter Western technology and aims to boost military morale, while the loss of the F-16 marks a notable setback for Ukraine’s limited fleet.
20 Articles
20 Articles
A Russian oil company says it paid out a $195,000 bounty to soldiers it credited with downing a US-made F-16 fighter jet in Ukraine
A US Air Force F-16 fighter jet takes off from an airbase in Germany.Photo by Boris Roessler/picture alliance via Getty ImagesA Russian company said it paid 12 soldiers a combined $195,000 for shooting down an F-16 jet.Fores said it presented the soldiers the cash at a ceremony near the Russia-Ukraine border on Thursday.Kyiv had long coveted the US-made F-16. It received its first of the jets in 2024.A Russian oil company said it had awarded a t…
"Wanted." Russians Receive Thousands of Rewards for Anniquiling F-16
The Russian company is offering nearly EUR 200 billion per plane in Ukraine which is being landed. Almost EUR 700 billion has already been distributed for the disposal of Western equipment, including tanks.
Russian Soldiers Awarded $195K Bounty for Shooting Down First Ukrainian F-16 Fighter Jet in Escalating Air Conflict
Russia's evolving military-industrial integration, the private Russian industrial firm Fores has awarded 15 million rubles (approximately US$195,000) to twelve servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces for reportedly shooting down the first U.S.-supplied F-16 Fighting Falcon jet in Ukraine. The reward ceremony, held on May 29, 2025, near the frontlines of Russia's ongoing invasion, underscores how deeply private enterprise is now enmeshed in the Kr…
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