Russian company Fores paid Russian soldiers for downing Ukraine’s first F-16, highlighting private support for the war effort and the growing trend of bounties on Western military hardware.
Last summer, as the first US-made F-16 Fighting Falcons were set to arrive in Ukraine, the Russian-based Fores oil company announced a 15 million ruble ($195,000) bounty for the first aircraft to be destroyed. According to a report from Russian state media outlet TASS, a dozen Russian servicemen received the reward at a ceremony on May 29, 2025.
“Fores has delivered on its earlier promise to transfer 15 million rubles to members of the Russian Armed Forces for downing the first F-16 in the special military operation zone,” the company said in a statement to TASS.
“Twelve servicemen involved in downing the target received money certificates.”
Fores Director General Sergey Shmotyev first offered the bonus for the first F-16 to be shot down at last June’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, and in December 2024, he confirmed the bounty to TASS.
Fores Is Supporting the War in Ukraine
The Russian firm, which manufactures proppants and microspheres, essential materials used by the oil and gas industry, has supported the ongoing “special military operation.” It has donated approximately 237.7 million rubles ($3 million) to the Kremlin, funding the acquisition of a variety of military hardware, including communications devices, jamming systems, thermal sights, medicines, and evacuation equipment.
Fores had previously pledged a bounty for the destruction of Western military hardware. In 2023, it offered five million rubles for the first destroyed German-made Leopard 2 or American M1 Abrams main battle tank (MBT), two million rubles for the second, and 500,000 rubles for each subsequent tank taken out of service.
It has claimed to have paid out 52.4 million rubles ($666,500) to soldiers as well as to the families of those killed in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The Russians Have Shot Down Three F-16s in Ukraine
The bounty paid out to the Russian soldiers was likely for the Ukrainian Air Force F-16 that was reportedly shot down this spring. The pilot, Pavlo Ivanov, was killed during a combat mission on April 12, although Kyiv has not confirmed the circumstances of the mission. Ivanov was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine.
“For personal courage and heroism, demonstrated in the protection of the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and selfless service to the Ukrainian people, I decree to award the title of Hero of Ukraine with the award of the “Golden Star” order to Ivanov Pavlo Ivanovych,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement.
That was the second Fighting Falcon to be lost, with the first occurring last August, just weeks after the aircraft arrived in Ukraine. A third F-16 was also destroyed in May while responding to a Russian missile and drone attack.
In June 2023, a Russian soldier received one million rubles from a private foundation for destroying the first German-made Leopard 2 MBT in Ukraine. The soldier, who was identified as Andrei Kravtsov, was wounded while destroying the Western MBT, losing his right hand. That bounty was paid for from a fund established by a group of private entrepreneurs, likely as a move to demonstrate their unwavering loyalty to the Kremlin.
Two years ago, the Russian rock band Zemlyany offered another bounty of up to a million rubles for the destruction of a Leopard 2. Of course, that was noted to be around $11,400, but Zemlyany hasn’t exactly reached the level of fame or amassed the sizeable bank accounts of Rihanna or Taylor Swift.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
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