F‑16 jets arrive in Ukraine: A crucial boost to combat readiness

As reported by Bloomberg, the first F-16 aircraft have arrived in Ukraine. The sources did not disclose how many aircraft have been delivered. They emphasise that the end of July was the "last moment" to deliver the fighter jets.

Ukraine has received its first multirole F-16 aircraft, Bloomberg announced on Wednesday, citing its own informants who wished to remain anonymous.

Bloomberg explains that it is not clear whether Ukrainian pilots, trained in recent months by Western allies, will be able to immediately deploy these aircraft or if this process will take more time.

According to the agency, this constitutes a "batch" of machines so far. The informants said the number of aircraft is small.

The Ukrainian government has not yet confirmed these reports. Information from Bloomberg is also cited by the Kyiv Post.

On 10 July, US President Joe Biden, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Dutch Minister Dick Schoof, who are leading the so-called fighter jet coalition, confirmed that Ukraine would receive its first F-16s this summer.

NATO countries have promised Ukraine a total of 65 US-made fighter jets.

In June, General Serhiy Holubtsov, Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, stated that some of the F-16 fighter jets that Ukraine will receive from Western partners will be "stored in safe bases outside our country's territory to prevent them from becoming targets of Russian attacks."

Ukrainians have been waiting for these machines for months, and the greatest hope for breaking the Russian front lies in the F-16s.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has already thanked the US, Denmark, and the Netherlands for "taking practical steps to achieve the goal of all Ukrainians—strengthening the Ukrainian air force with F-16 fighter jets."

More information will be provided shortly.