2023-08-21 04:33:52
The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Selensky has the planned F-16 fighter jet deliveries of the Netherlands and Denmark as “historic”.
“The F-16 will bring fresh confidence and motivation to fighters and ordinary citizens,” said Zelensky on Monday night at X (formerly Twitter).
The fighter jets would help protect Ukrainian cities from Russian attacks.
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According to the President’s Office in Kiev, the Netherlands and Denmark had previously promised to deliver a total of 61 fighter jets.
“They will bring fresh results for Ukraine and the rest of Europe,” Zelensky said after a meeting with the Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen.
After visiting both countries, the Ukrainian President, who boarded a jet himself in Denmark, thanked the Netherlands for providing 42 and Denmark 19 US F-16 fighter jets.
Not all jets operational
However, according to the Dutch Ministry of Defence, only 24 of the 42 F-16 jets in the Netherlands are currently operational. Together with the anti-aircraft defenses already supplied by the West, Ukraine sees them as part of a protective shield against Russian attacks.
Kiev hopes to regain control of its own airspace. Ukraine also wants to use the planes to breach Russian defenses in the occupied territories in the east and south of the country. There, the troops on the ground are making slow progress in their counter-offensive, also because of the mined fields.
➤ Read more: Counteroffensive: How much longer can Ukraine hold out?
First F-16 at the turn of the year
The Ukraine is to receive the first F-16 at the turn of the year – later than hoped. The fighter jets are to be delivered as soon as the Ukrainian pilots have completed their training on the machines. According to Prime Minister Frederiksen, 70 Ukrainian pilots are currently being trained on F-16 fighter jets in Denmark.
Zelensky emphasized in a statement that they are working on accelerating the training. “We also talked today about the possibility of expanding the training mission,” he said.
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“Will throw the Russians out of our airspace”
“Ukraine will have a modern air force, our pilots will fly F-16s, the sky will be better protected, we will throw the Russians out of our airspace,” wrote the head of the Kyiv Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, who told Zelenskiy on the trip accompanied, in the news service Telegram.
A coalition led by the two countries formed within NATO in the summer to train Ukrainian pilots to use the F-16. Belgium and Norway are also considered possible suppliers of the US jets. Initially, however, the delivery of F-16s to the USA failed, where the aircraft were developed. However, Washington recently cleared the way for supplies from third countries.
There was initially no reaction from Russia to the news that Zelensky described as a breakthrough, for which he also thanked US President Joe Biden. Since the start of the Russian war of aggression almost 18 months ago, the Russian air force has largely controlled Ukraine’s airspace.
Russia warns of escalation
The Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had previously warned of the risk of a further escalation of violence in the war, with a view to the debate in the West about the delivery of fighter jets to Ukraine.
The military leadership in Moscow had also made it clear that it would not allow itself to be dissuaded from its war goals in Ukraine by the arms deliveries from the West.
This includes, for example, the complete occupation of the previously partially controlled areas Luhansk, Donetsk, Saporischschja and Cherson.
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