Military Aviation Forces See No Sense in Delivering F-16s to Ukraine

Currently, there is no sense in supplying F-16s to Ukraine from Western countries, as these fighters would be targets for the enemy. Our country must be 100% ready for such deliveries. This was stated by Yuri Ignat, spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, during an interview on Radio Free Europe, as reported by РБК-Украина.

The speaker was asked to comment on information from Western analysts that the first F-16s could be delivered to Ukraine by the end of the year. Ignat recalled that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a phone conversation with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The Dutch leader announced that his country would prepare the first 18 fighters for delivery to Ukraine.

“What is the point in supplying aircraft here if these fighters will be targets for the enemy? We need to wait until everything is 100% ready— the infrastructure, the pilots who are currently training with instructors, as well as the aviation engineering personnel,” emphasized the spokesman. He clarified that engineers will not only prepare the aircraft but will also be involved in armaments.