(Image by NEIVANMADE)
I’m still fried, so I’m just going to run through the basics again tonight.
I’m aware of the President-elect’s press conference today. I don’t think I have anything to write that I didn’t after his only foreign, defense, and nat-sec policy address during the 2016 election. I’ll just remind everyone that the person who organized and hosted that event has now been identified as Russian asset.
⚡️ In world first, Ukrainian F-16 pilot downs 6 cruise missiles in single mission, Air Force claims.
For the first time in the history of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, a Ukrainian-operated jet shot down six Russian cruise missiles during a single mission in December, the Air Force claimed on Jan. 7.
— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) January 7, 2025 at 6:19 AM
From The Kyiv Independent:
For the first time in the history of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, a Ukrainian-operated jet shot down six Russian cruise missiles during a single mission in December, including two with the aircraft cannon, the Air Force claimed on Jan. 7.
The interception reportedly took place during a mass Russian aerial strike on the morning of Dec. 13, 2024, which saw Russia deploy almost 200 drones and 94 missiles.
“For the first time in the history of the Fighting Falcon, an F-16 fighter jet destroyed six Russian cruise missiles in one combat mission,” the Air Force Command said on social media.
Ukraine has received a number of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands and Denmark, deploying them multiple times in air defense roles during Russian mass strikes on cities and infrastructure.
“They say that even Americans couldn’t believe you did it,” Air Force Command spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said in an interview with the pilot, whose identity was not revealed.
The aviator said that he approached a group of cruise missiles and, despite their electronic warfare countermeasures, managed to lock on to targets. The F-16 reportedly shot down one pair of Russian projectiles with medium-range missiles and then another pair with short-range missiles.
Ukrainian F-16s are equipped with four air-to-air medium-range and short-range missiles.
Without missiles and low on fuel, the pilot was then recalled from the area but spotted another missile heading toward Kyiv. He moved to intercept it and opened fire from his aircraft cannon against the projectile, which was flying over 650 kilometers per hour, a difficult and risky maneuver, the Air Force said.
“A few bursts from the cannon — and an explosion… then another one! ‘A secondary detonation,’ I thought, but, as it turned out, there were two missiles,” the pilot said, adding he did everything as taught by U.S. instructors.
According to the Air Force Command, Ukrainian pilots have learned how to shoot down missiles with aircraft cannons in simulators in the U.S. but have never attempted it during actual combat before.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
The cost:
🏴 🕯️ He believed he was doing something important”: Volunteer and combat medic from Scotland killed in action in Ukraine
— Ukrainska Pravda 🇺🇦 (@pravda.ua) January 7, 2025 at 12:43 PM
From Ukrainska Pravda:
Jordan Maclachlan, 26, a volunteer combat medic from Scotland, has been killed in action on the front line. He had been fighting for Ukraine since 2022.
Source: The Guardian; BBC
Details: Jordan was killed on Friday, 3 January while serving on the front line, the Guardian reports.
Quote: “Jordan always believed that he was making a difference and we are all so proud of him helping others,” his family said in a statement. “Jordan was a fun-loving son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and a friend to many and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.”
The family has asked for privacy during this difficult time, the BBC reports.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it was supporting the family of a British man who had died in Ukraine and was in contact with local authorities.
Jordan Maclachlan is not the first British citizen to die in combat with Russian troops.
Other Britons who have died in Ukraine include Peter Fouché, who was killed in action in July 2024. Before the full-scale invasion he lived in London and worked as a carpenter. In March 2022, he left the safety of England and travelled to Ukraine.
In January last year, Peter took the oath of allegiance and officially joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces as a combat medic. The defender was survived by his 15-year-old daughter, Nicola. Peter had said that it was for her sake that he came to Ukraine.
Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.
War for Ukraine Day 1,049: A Brief Tuesday Night UpdatePost + Comments (10)
