First F-16 fighter jets arrive in Ukraine, officials say

BERLIN – Ukraine has obtained its first assortment of F-16 fight jets, Lithuania’s overseas minister and a number of other officers confirmed on Wednesday.

The jets have been long-anticipated, with discussions about offering the fighters to Kyiv courting again to the early days of the February 2022 Russian invasion of its smaller neighbor.

“F-16s in Ukraine. One other unattainable factor turned out to be completely doable,” Vilnius’ Overseas Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis wrote on X.

The Related Press and Reuters cited unnamed U.S. and Ukrainian officers who confirmed the supply of the primary jets. Publicly, Ukraine and its supporters are retaining tight-lipped; a high advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned he would neither affirm nor deny that Ukraine has obtained F-16s, NPR reported on Thursday.

Ukraine is to obtain six of the plane this summer time and as much as 20 by the top of the yr, Bloomberg reported in July.

U.S. President Joe Biden gave the go-ahead in August 2023 for F-16s to be despatched to Ukraine, although the U.S. is not going to be offering any fighter jets instantly. Ukrainian pilots and upkeep crews have been coaching on the warplanes in Western nations for months. The White Home mentioned final month that “Ukraine will probably be flying operational F-16s this summer time.”

The Netherlands and Denmark, each NATO members, have been the driving power behind the push to get F-16s to Ukraine. Norway and Belgium have additionally promised to donate fighters. Between them, the 4 nations have pledged 79 of the fourth-generation multirole fighter jets.

It’s unclear whether or not the arrival of F-16s in Ukraine will quantity to a recreation changer, however protection officers hope they’ll help Ukraine in difficult Russia’s air supremacy, significantly over the Black Sea.

Though the primary F-16s took to the skies half a century in the past, reportedly round 2,000 of the plane are nonetheless in use by air forces — significantly in U.S.-aligned nations — across the globe.

Nicely over 4,000 F-16s have been offered, with over 25 nations working them immediately. They have been used to implement no-fly zones in Iraq throughout the Gulf Conflict and have been closely employed within the Balkan conflicts of the Nineties. Extra lately, the jets have seen fight over Afghanistan, Libya and Syria.