Ukraine said one of its F-16 pilots achieved a feat nobody flying the jet has managed before

A Ukrainian pilot flying a US-made F-16 fighter jet might have accomplished a record-breaking maneuver previously unattained by any other F-16 pilot.
The Ukrainian air force command reported that a pilot downed six Russian cruise missiles during a single mission.
Colonel Yuriy Ihnat stated that this incident marked the first recorded occurrence in the jet's history.

Ukraine reported that one of its F-16 pilots accomplished an exploit no F-16 pilot had achieved before.

On June 5, Ukraine's Air Force Command reported that a pilot flying an F-16 downed six Russian cruise missiles during a single mission, employing air-to-air missiles and the aircraft's cannon.

The incident took place during a "mass" missile and drone attack in December, according to the report.

On December 13, Russia launched around 200 drones, Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles, and 94 cruise missiles at Ukraine.

The pilot's primary objective was to target the cruise missiles, according to the report.

The pilot expended all four of the F-16's air-to-air missiles, including two that were only effective at close range, causing the jet to fly a hazardous path, which was deemed "extremely dangerous".

The pilot then launched two missiles in rapid succession, striking them simultaneously using a compressed air launcher.

We are unable to confirm the accuracy of the report published by Business Insider.

It's a difficult job for a pilot to target such critical spots," said Col. Yuriy Ihnat, head of the Ukrainian air force command's public relations service, "but who, if not Ukrainian pilots, has the most expertise in using winged missiles?

Russian forces are focusing their attacks primarily at Ukraine, with a goal of overloading Ukraine's air defenses and striking targets that are located in the rear.

The pilot, who had undergone recent retraining with F-16s in the United States, stated in a post that Ukrainian F-16 pilots have never previously used an aviation gun to shoot down targets.

He noted that he applied the principles he learned while in the US.

The individual mentioned that he felt like he had achieved something exceptional that day. He also stated that he believed their experience would be valuable for others.

Ihnat labeled it the first recorded instance.

He stated, "As per objective verification, we have one hundred percent validation that for the first time in history in anti-air combat, an American F-16 fighter jet has successfully shot down six aerial targets."

on Microsoft Start.