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Ukraine’s F-16s Crush Russian Missile Barrage, Shooting Down 34 of 35 Russian Missiles
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Ukrainian F-16 pilots intercepted the vast majority of Russian cruise missiles during a massive overnight attack on December 23, shooting down 34 of 35 missiles, Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said in an interview on Ukrainian state television, Radio Svoboda reported on December 23.
Ihnat said tactical aviation played the central role in repelling the strike, with F-16s leading the interception effort. He stressed that both air-to-air missiles for fighter jets and missiles for ground-based air defense systems remain in short supply for Ukraine, a point repeatedly raised by pilots, military leadership, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in appeals to Western partners.
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Despite limited stocks, Ihnat said continued missile deliveries have allowed Ukraine to counter large-scale attacks. Alongside F-16s, the air defense effort also involved Mirage fighter jets, interceptor drones, and mobile fire groups, Radio Svoboda wrote.
Russia carried out a combined strike overnight using 635 drones of various types and 38 missiles, including three Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles and 35 Kh-101 and Iskander-K cruise missiles, the Ukrainian Air Force said. Air raid alerts were issued nationwide, and emergency power outages were imposed in several regions.
At least three people were killed and multiple others injured across Ukraine. Energy infrastructure in western regions was among the hardest hit, with near-total blackouts reported in Rivne, Ternopil, and Khmelnytskyi regions, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Previously, it was reported that F-16 Fighting Falcon (Viper) fighters supplied to Ukraine as part of Western military aid are now flying roughly 80% of the Ukrainian Air Force’s combat sorties, according to a report in Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The jets are heavily tasked with intercepting Russian cruise missiles and Shahed-type loitering munitions that have been targeting Ukraine’s infrastructure and population.
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