Russian firm awards soldiers for downing Ukrainian F‑16
Russian soldiers have been rewarded with 15 million roubles for destroying an F-16 aircraft in Ukraine, reports "The Moscow Times". The company Fores awarded prizes to several soldiers.
15 million roubles, or over £143,000, 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 roubles (£48.000) 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 was against providing these aircraft 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.
