Ukraine to receive first F-16s “very soon”
Ukraine expects its partner countries to provide F-16 fighter jets “very soon,” but so far only half of the deliveries promised by the West have arrived on time.
This was stated by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in an interview with Reuters published on Tuesday, May 28.
“Time is of the essence, and in order to repel attacks, we need the delivery to be made on time,” Umerov said.
He hopes that the F-16s will be delivered to Ukraine “very, very soon.” According to Umerov, Ukraine “needs as many aircraft as it can get.”
The minister noted that Ukraine is currently focusing on training personnel, including pilots, infrastructure, attracting teams for operation and maintenance, and working on modernizing or attracting more platforms.
Ukraine continues to increase its own production of weapons and drones, as well as its capabilities in electronic warfare, Umerov said.
On May 28, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited an air base in Belgium that houses F-16 fighter jets to be transferred to Ukraine.
Author - Ihor Lontkivskyi 28.05.24
