(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — A Russian company named “Fores” has offered a cash reward of 15 million rubles (approximately US$168,000) to any member of the country military who successfully shoots down the first F-16 fighter jet operated by Ukraine.
The announcement was made by the company’s director, Sergei Shmotyev, at the recently held St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
“Fores” is headquartered in the Urals and operates within the oil and gas industry.
Previously, the company had also offered significant cash rewards for the destruction of enemy military equipment, including main battle tanks.
These payments included rewards for proving that tanks supplied by Western countries, such as the M1A1 Abrams and the Leopard, had been destroyed.
The cash reward offers are part of the company’s strategy to support the Russian Armed Forces and boost the morale of its soldiers engaged in combat in Ukraine.
It also signifies the Russian corporate sector’s solidarity with the government led by President Vladimir Putin.
The decision by “Fores” to offer these cash rewards responds to the increased supply of Western weapons to Ukraine, now including F-16 fighter jets.
Ukrainian pilots have been sent to the United Kingdom and the United States for training to fly the F-16s, which have been supplied by several European countries, notably the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark.
Russia has warned that its air defense systems will shoot down any F-16s as soon as they take off from any airbase in Ukraine.
Last year, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that 10,000 of its soldiers had received cash rewards for successfully destroying Ukrainian military equipment, including American-made HIMARS rocket launch systems, fighter jets, and helicopters.
Russian soldiers who successfully destroyed Leopard tanks and Western and NATO armored vehicles in combat in the southern Ukraine region of Zaporizhzhia also received special cash payments.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the highest reward of 300,000 rubles (approximately RM16,000) was given for the destruction of HIMARS and TOCHKA-U ground-to-ground missile systems.
Soldiers who destroyed Ukrainian 15 TOCHKA-U and HIMARS launch systems received 300,000 rubles each.
Additionally, payments of 300,000 rubles were also made to Russian soldiers who successfully shot down a total of 45 helicopters and 71 fighter jets belonging to the Ukrainian military during the conflict.
In 2022, 7,064 Russian soldiers received special payments for destroying 11,586 pieces of Ukrainian military equipment. — DSA