An F-16 fighter jet recently handed over to Kyiv may have been shot down by a missile from the Ukrainian Armed Forces' own Patriot air defense missile system, The New York Times reported, citing a Western official.

According to the publication, the incident, which had previously caused widespread discussion, could indeed have occurred as a result of a mistake on the part of Ukrainian forces.

The alleged error resulted in the loss of one of the F-16 fighters, which was a serious blow to the Ukrainian army. The Ukrainian side has not yet announced the circumstances of the incident, however, as Avia.pro journalists reported earlier, one of the key reasons for the incident was the use of an electronic warfare system.