F‑16 fighters in Ukraine: Russia's relentless pursuit to destroy Western jets

The Russians claim that the appearance of F-16 fighters on the front will not significantly impact the war in Ukraine. In practice, however, Vladimir Putin's army prioritizes destroying this equipment. What plan does Ukraine have to protect it?

Russia has been prepared for the arrival of F-16 planes since last autumn. During this period, they gathered air defence resources from everywhere they could - S-300, S-400, and other systems.

The biggest problem for the Ukrainians will be ensuring safe locations to base the F-16 fighters.

Russians are currently monitoring all airports where Ukrainian planes could be based and certainly have a strike table ready. If any aircraft appear, they will become an immediate target for the Russian army's missile systems - noted Gen. Waldemar Skrzypczak in July.

It is no secret that the Russians' most important goal is to destroy Western equipment in Ukraine. This raises the question of what steps are being taken to protect it. Journalist Oleksandr Kovalenko explained that the country attacked by the Russians is ready for various scenarios.

F-16 aircraft are a fetish target for the Russians The occupiers rejoice at every damaged or destroyed piece of Western equipment, ignoring the stories of their own propagandists that they are supposedly at war with the entire NATO bloc. But in the case of war with NATO, the Russians would be waiting for not just a few, but thousands of such items - said Kovalenko.

The first F-16 fighters appeared in Ukraine at the end of July and the beginning of August. Most likely, 10 planes were delivered by the Netherlands and Denmark. Ukraine will receive a total of approximately 80 such machines.

Such a number of fighters will allow the creation of several squadrons that will mainly defend the sky from Russian air raids. The planes will also enable air-to-air and air-to-ground attacks and jam the electronic signal of Russian radar located in Ukraine and at its borders.