Ukraine Downs Russian Su-35 as F-16 Attrition Increases

The Ukrainian Air Force achieved the first air-to-air kill of the Russia-Ukraine war in July 2026, using an F-16 fighter jet to down a Russian Su-35. While Russian media confirmed the pilot survived, the event signaled a shift in F-16 utility, moving beyond the interception of drones and missiles. However, the fleet continues to suffer from attrition; on July 30, a fourth F-16 crashed during a mission due to a malfunction, though the pilot ejected safely. Analysis suggests the fleet is over-tasked with counter-drone duties, having destroyed over 2,500 Russian attack drones.

To address critical shortages of PAC-3 interceptor missiles, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to grant licenses for Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missiles domestically. The United States further approved $60 billion in funding for Lockheed Martin to produce these missiles.

Simultaneously, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces targeted Russian infrastructure throughout July. Commander Robert Brovdi reported the destruction of 30 air defense elements, including Buk-M3 systems and various radar stations in the Rostov and Donetsk regions. Maritime operations since July 6 targeted 205 vessels across the Black and Azov Seas, including four recent tanker strikes. Other operations included attacks on Russian oil refineries in Perm and Ryazan, as well as naval drone bases in occupied Crimea.