F‑16s for Ukraine: New jet deployment raises Russian threat level

F-16 aircraft are set to arrive in Ukraine. Some of them will be stored outside the country's territory. It is possible that they could take off from Polish or Romanian airfields. The Russians are signalling that such actions will result in retaliation. "If they take off from the airfields of some country, enter the airspace of Ukraine, launch missiles and return there, then this is a legitimate goal. As for (the possibility - ed.) to shoot down, we can shoot down anyone," announced Russian Deputy Andrey Kartapolov.

Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and Belgium are expected to deliver 60 F-16 aircraft to Ukraine this summer. The aircraft will help the Ukrainian military fight for control of the country's airspace. Currently, Russia has a significant advantage in this domain.

The arrival of the F-16s in Ukraine is just the beginning. Training for pilots who will be able to operate them is ongoing. Without this, even the most effective weapons will not be helpful in the hands of Ukrainian troops.

The Commander of the Air Force of Ukraine, General Serhiy Holubtsov, announced that not all F-16 aircraft will reach Ukraine. Some will remain in training centers, where crews and personnel continue to be trained. This is to ensure that the fighters are not destroyed before their missions begin.

The Kremlin's reaction is immediate whenever the West announces another round of aid for Ukraine. When the Netherlands announced that the F-16s it delivers could attack targets in Russia, the deputy chairman of the Russian Federation Council international committee, Vladimir Dzhabarov, announced they would be shot down.

There was also a question of where the American fighters would take off from. A Russian parliamentarian stated that they could start their missions from airfields in western Ukraine, Romania, or Poland. One of the Russian deputies announced that they could become targets for Moscow.

If they take off from the airfields of some country, enter the airspace of Ukraine, launch missiles and return there, then this is a legitimate goal. As for (the possibility - ed.) to shoot down, we can shoot down anyone," said Andrey Kartapolov, head of the Defense Committee of the Russian State Duma.

Let us remind you that not only F-16s are to make their way to Ukraine. France has announced the delivery of Mirage aircraft. It is not yet known how many machines will be delivered to Kyiv.