President Zelensky Says Ukraine Has Received First F-16 Jets
Ukraine has received its first American-made F-16 fighter jets, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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At a special event, Zelensky proudly announced, "F-16 in Ukraine. We did it." He was surrounded by the new jets and thanked Denmark, the Netherlands, and the US for their help. This delivery comes after 18 months of waiting.
The arrival of these F-16s is a big boost for Ukraine's air force. Until now, Ukraine's military has mostly used old Soviet-era jets. Zelensky did not say how many F-16s were received or if they came from the mentioned NATO countries.
Since August 2023, NATO countries have promised around 65 F-16s to Ukraine. The UK, while not sending F-16s, is providing long-range Storm Shadow missiles that can be used with these jets. The F-16, first introduced in 1978, is being replaced by the newer F-35 in many Western air forces. These F-16s will work with Western-supplied surface-to-air missile systems, such as Patriot and NASAMS.
This year, Ukraine has faced a serious threat from Russian glide bombs, which are advanced precision-guided weapons. In March alone, about 3,000 of these bombs were dropped, mainly from Su-34 fighter-bombers. The hope is that the new F-16s can help protect Ukraine's skies and reduce the threat from these bombs.
Kyiv had suggested keeping some F-16s at foreign military bases, but this idea led President Vladimir Putin to warn that such bases could become Russian targets. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said that the F-16s would be shot down but claimed their impact on the front lines would be limited.
The arrival of these F-16s could provide much-needed air support to Ukrainian forces, especially in the conflict-ridden eastern Donbas region.