**Ukrainian F-16 Pilot Hits Six Russian Cruise Missiles**
For the first time in history, a Ukrainian-operated F-16 fighter jet shot down six Russian cruise missiles during a single mission. The interception happened on December 13, 2024, when Russia launched almost 200 drones and 94 missiles.
The Air Force Command said that an F-16 fighter jet destroyed six Russian cruise missiles in one combat mission. This is the first time this has been done by an F-16 in its history. Ukraine received US-made F-16s from the Netherlands and Denmark, which they have used multiple times to defend against Russian mass strikes.
A Ukrainian Air Force Command spokesperson said that even American pilots couldn’t believe the pilot’s success. The pilot said he locked onto a group of cruise missiles despite their electronic warfare countermeasures. He shot down one pair with medium-range missiles and another pair with short-range missiles.
The F-16 then ran low on fuel, but the pilot spotted another missile heading towards Kyiv. Despite being low on fuel, he moved to intercept it and shot it down using his aircraft cannon. This was a difficult and risky maneuver, as the missile was flying at over 650 kilometers per hour.
This achievement is significant because Ukrainian pilots have learned how to shoot down missiles with aircraft cannons in simulators in the US but had never tried it during actual combat before.
**Other News**
* Ukraine reported 218 clashes across the front on January 6.
* Russia sent one of its top generals, General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, to organize their defense in Kursk Oblast against a renewed Ukrainian attack.
* Russia launched 38 Shahed-type attack drones and unidentified dummy drones against Ukraine overnight. Twenty-eight drones were shot down, and 10 were lost in the airspace.
* Small Russian units are trying to advance around Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast but not threatening the town itself at the moment.
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