F‑16s arrive in Ukraine. Sources say more jets are expected
As reported by Bloomberg, the first F-16 aircraft have arrived in Ukraine. The sources did not disclose how many jets have reached Ukraine. They emphasize that the end of July was the "last moment" to deliver the fighters.
31 July 2024 13:24
Bloomberg announced on Wednesday that Ukraine has received the first multirole F-16 aircraft, citing its own informants who wished to remain anonymous.
It is not clear whether Ukrainian pilots, trained in recent months by Western allies, will be ready to deploy these aircraft immediately or if this process will take more time. It was a long-awaited moment. Bloomberg, quoting its sources, wrote that the fighters arrived at the last moment.
According to the agency, it's a "batch" of machines. "The number of aircraft is small," the informants said.
The Ukrainian government has not yet confirmed these reports. Kyiv Post, among others, also cites Bloomberg information.
NATO supports Ukraine. "Hope to break the Russian front"
On July 10th, the leaders of the United States, Denmark, and the Netherlands, Joe Biden, Mette Frederiksen, and Dick Schoof, at the helm of the so-called aviation coalition, confirmed that Ukraine would receive the first F-16s in the summer.
NATO countries have promised Ukraine a total of 65 American-made combat aircraft.
In June, the commander of the Air Forces of Ukraine, General Serhiy Holubtsov, stated that some of the F-16 fighters that Ukraine will receive from Western partners will be "stored in secure bases outside our state's territory, so they do not become targets of Russian attacks."
The Ukrainians have been waiting for these aircraft for months, and it is precisely the F-16s that hold the greatest hope for breaking the Russian front.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has already thanked the USA, Denmark, and the Netherlands for "taking practical steps towards achieving the goal of all Ukrainians - strengthening Ukrainian air forces with F-16 fighters."
