Western F-16 and Mirage jets achieved a 100% success rate in shooting down Russian cruise missiles
The Ukrainian Air Force demonstrated unprecedented effectiveness in repelling a massive Russian attack on March 24, 2026.
Yuriy Ignat, head of the communications department of the Ukrainian Air Force Command, reported on the successful operation of the air defense shield.
Thanks to the deployment of Western-made F-16 and Mirage fighter jets, all cruise missiles launched by the occupiers were successfully intercepted.
The coordinated actions of the pilots and ground-based air defense units made it possible to completely neutralize the threat posed by enemy cruise missiles.
“Virtually all cruise missiles were shot down—that is, 18 Kh-101s and 5 Iskander-Ks. All cruise missiles were intercepted—this is actually the second time in a row this has happened thanks to the joint efforts of the air defense forces,” Yuriy Ignat emphasized on television.
F-16 and Mirage aircraft played a particularly important role in today’s operation, significantly enhancing the capabilities of mobile fire groups and anti-aircraft missile systems.
Their use allowed us to achieve maximum results in destroying X-101 and Iskander-K class targets.
“Our air force is performing well against cruise missiles today—in particular, the Western F-16 and Mirage aircraft, which are giving us this high 100% interception rate for cruise missiles,” noted the Air Force representative.
Despite the triumphant performance against cruise missiles, the situation regarding countering ballistic targets remains critical.
Intercepting such missiles requires a greater number of modern air defense systems capable of operating at high altitudes and speeds.
Yuriy Ignat noted that due to a lack of Patriot-type systems, which require scaling up, the results of ballistic missile interception in frontline areas are disappointing.
As a reminder, Russian forces carried out another combined attack on Ukraine, using strike drones and cruise missiles.
Russia also attacked the Dnipropetrovsk region more than 20 times, injuring a woman.
