Sergey Shmotyev’s company previously offered $50,000 for the first destroyed Abrams or Leopard tank
The CEO of the Urals-based company Fores has announced that he will award 15 million rubles ($149,000) to the first Russian servicemen to have downed a US-made F-16 fighter jet, which reportedly happened in Zaporozhye Region earlier this week.
The company is awaiting official confirmation from the Russian Ministry of Defense regarding the destruction of the F-16 fighter jet.
“This reward for the downed F-16 is our contribution to supporting those who risk their lives daily for the safety of the Motherland. We are proud of the heroism of our soldiers and will continue to provide them with comprehensive assistance,” Fores CEO Sergey Shmotyev said in a statement on Friday.
Shmotyev initially revealed the reward program at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in June, where he also discussed previous incentives for destroying Western tanks.
Fores had previously offered 5 million rubles ($50,000) for the first destroyed German Leopard or American Abrams tank, with subsequent rewards of 500,000 rubles ($5,000) each. To date, the company said, it has made eight such payments.
Since the start of Moscow’s military operation in February 2022, Fores has supported the Russian armed forces with equipment, humanitarian aid, and funding for training programs. The company said its total contributions have exceeded 230 million rubles ($2.2 million).
Earlier this week, Vladimir Rogov, the co-chair of Russia’s Coordinating Council for the Integration of New Regions, said that the Russian military had shot down a US-supplied F-16 fighter jet deployed by Ukraine. “The F-16 aircraft was in position to launch a missile strike on the region, and it was shot down,” Rogov wrote on Telegram on Wednesday.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has not yet provided an official comment on the matter. If confirmed, this would mark the first known combat loss of such an aircraft in the conflict, signaling the increasing involvement of advanced weaponry.
Several European NATO members have provided Ukraine with a limited number of US-made fighter jets in July.
In August, some F-16s were reportedly deployed to intercept Russian missile attacks, but one was lost. Ukrainian lawmaker Maryana Bezuglaya later disclosed that the jet had been mistakenly shot down by a NATO-supplied Patriot air defense system.
Moscow has denounced the Western arms shipments, warning that they will only prolong the conflict without changing the outcome. It has also said that F-16 deliveries represent an escalation of hostilities.
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