The F-16 showed its advantage! Ukrainian fighter jet shoots down Russian Su-34

The popular Telegram channel Fighterbomber, which is run by a former Russian military pilot, reported , that a Russian fighter-bomber Su-34 was shot down over Ukraine.

The channel published a photo of the downed plane. There are no official statements on this matter from either the Russian Ministry of Defense or Ukraine. However, some pro-Russian channels in Telegram reported that the plane was shot down about 50 km from the front line and that this was done by an American F-16 Fighting Falcon, Forbes writes.

"The F-16 showed its teeth“

Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway pledged to transfer more than 90 F-16s to Ukraine after US President Joe Biden approved the transfer of the multi-role fighter jets. The first F-16s arrived in Ukraine in August. If the downing is confirmed, it will be the first time a US aircraft has shot down a Russian fighter jet.

Su-34: losses for the Kremlin

The Su-34, a twin-engine two-seat supersonic fighter-bomber developed in the 1980s for the Soviet Air Force, officially entered service in 2014. The aircraft was considered one of the most powerful in the Russian arsenal and its loss is a major blow to Moscow, entered which was struggling to maintain the production of new aircraft, according to the publication.

Reaction of Russian military bloggers

Russian military bloggers, who are active on Telegram and often openly criticize the actions of the Russian military, immediately reacted to the loss of the plane. One channel warned that "NATO sent F-16s hunting” and that such losses will only increase.

Forbes writes that military bloggers avoid criticism of Vladimir Putin, focusing their displeasure on the military command. As national security expert Matthew Schmidt noted, they criticize the military for incompetence but support Putin, urging him to make personnel changes in the military structures.

A challenge for the Kremlin

The rapid spread of news via Telegram and other social media outpaces the Kremlin's official statements. As social media commentator Roger Entner notes, "smartphones and social media give everyone a megaphone through which information can be disseminated instantaneously,” which is a challenge for totalitarian regimes that rely on controlling the flow of information.