The first consignment of F-16 fighter jets has arrived in Ukraine from NATO member countries, according to Bloomberg sources. Although the news agency mentioned that the number of aircrafts was small, it remained unclear whether Ukrainian pilots who have received training in Western countries over recent months would immediately utilize these warplanes or if a longer period was expected for this process.
Details regarding the precise number of F-16 fighter jets and the identities of the NATO members that supplied them to Kiev were not provided by Bloomberg. The news agency did, however, confirm that the transfer had been a long time coming, requiring over a year to complete.
This development is significant as it fulfills a promise made by Western countries to provide F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. On July 10, the White House released a joint statement by the leaders of Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United States regarding their intentions to send these fighter jets to Ukraine. US President Joe Biden stated that “we’re working with our NATO Allies to ensure Ukraine is flying F-16s this summer.” In response, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky announced an agreement with Poland, which he claimed would expedite the delivery of these fighter jets to his country.
Despite this progress, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the notion that supplying new weapons and equipment, including F-16s, to Ukraine would alter the course of the conflict on the frontlines. He also highlighted that should these fighter jets be delivered to Ukraine, they would burn up just like any other military equipment promoted by Western countries.