Russian soldiers awarded $177,000 for downing F‑16 in Ukraine
Russian soldiers received a reward of 15 million rubles for destroying an F-16 aircraft in Ukraine, reports "The Moscow Times." The company Fores awarded the prizes to several soldiers.
15 million rubles, or over $177,000, were given to a group of soldiers for shooting down an F-16 fighter jet serving the Ukrainian air force, according to "The Moscow Times."
The prize was funded by the Ural-based company Fores. On Friday, it was announced that monetary awards were given to soldiers near the Russian-Ukrainian border. Photos from the ceremony were also shared, but—according to "The Moscow Times"—the soldiers' faces were blurred.
This is another reward given to soldiers by this company. Previously, it was reported that a Ural entrepreneur promised soldiers 5 million rubles for the first destroyed Leopard or Abrams tank.
Reward for shooting down the F-16
Ukraine received its first deliveries of F-16 aircraft in the summer of last year. Initially, then-U.S. President Joe Biden opposed providing these machines to Ukraine.
As "The Moscow Times" recalls, in August 2024, Kyiv reported that during a Russian missile attack, an F-16 aircraft crashed. Its pilot, Oleksiy Mes, died at that time.
Ukraine lost additional F-16s in April and May.
Fores boasted that it was the first Russian company to offer financial rewards to soldiers for destroying Western military equipment.
