Former military pilot Ilya Tumanov (Fighterbomber) said that the information about the allegedly shot down F-16 fighter in the combat zone has not been confirmed. He reported this on March 20, 2025, commenting on rumors spreading on the Internet. According to Tumanov, at the moment there is no reliable data that would indicate the loss of such an aircraft by Ukraine, despite numerous reports in Telegram channels and other sources.

Tumanov, who has experience serving in the Air Force, stressed that such rumors require careful verification. However, judging by the statement of the former military pilot, the attack did indeed take place.

"The reports of a downed F-16 have not been confirmed. I have found out in general terms whose report is at the origin of this news, and it is more or less clear why such hysteria suddenly arose on the OBS channels. "A miss is normal" is a miss is normal. This is not shot down. And it is not even a fact that he wounded. There can be no complaints about the crew and the pilot. Next time it will definitely work out"- he wrote.

Tumanov's statement came amid recent events related to the supply of F-16 fighters to Ukraine. In early 2025, NATO countries, including the Netherlands and Denmark, handed over the first batches of these aircraft to Kyiv to strengthen its air positions. Since then, there have been regular reports in the information space about the combat use of F-16s and their alleged losses. However, the Russian Ministry of Defense has not yet provided data on the downing of such a machine the day before.