Somewhere in Ukraine —
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday showcased new F-16 fighter jets that have arrived in Ukraine, saying the planes will boost the country’s war effort against Russia.
“These planes are in our sky and you see them today,” Zelenskyy said, standing in front of two of the fighter jets as two others flew in close formation. “It’s good that they are here and that we can use them.”
Ukraine is also trying to get neighboring countries to help defend itself against Russian missiles, Zelenskyy said.
“This decision will probably be difficult for our partners, as they always fear unnecessary escalation,” the Ukrainian president said. “We will work on this… I think we have a good option for a NATO-Ukraine council… so that NATO countries can talk with Ukraine about the possibility of a small coalition of neighbouring countries that would shoot down enemy missiles.”
Two F-16 jets, bearing Ukraine’s trident insignia on their tails and covered in camouflage netting, provided a dramatic backdrop to Zelenskyy’s speech on Air Forces Day, an event held under tight security at an undisclosed location to protect the fighter jets from Russian attacks.
“Since the beginning of this war, we have been talking with our partners about the need to protect our Ukrainian skies from Russian missiles and aircraft,” Zelenskyy said. “Now we have a new reality in our skies. F-16s are in Ukraine. We made it possible. I am proud of our guys who have mastered these aircraft and have already started using them for our country. … Our combat aviation will bring us closer to victory.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks on the occasion of Air Forces Day in front of Ukrainian Air Force F-16 fighter jets at an undisclosed location in Ukraine, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024.
Ukraine may keep some of the F-16 fighter jets at foreign bases to protect them from Russian attacks, according to a senior Ukrainian military official. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow could consider launching attacks on facilities in NATO countries if they host the warplanes used in Ukraine.
The American-made F-16 is an iconic fighter aircraft that has been the frontline combat aircraft of choice for the NATO alliance and numerous air forces around the world for 50 years.
While new to Ukraine, the F-16s are older aircraft that have been donated by Ukraine’s Western allies. Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway have pledged to provide Ukraine with more than 60 of them in the coming months in what could be a slow trickle of deliveries. Zelenskyy did not say how many F-16s have arrived in Ukraine or which countries they came from.
US President Joe Biden gave the go-ahead in August 2023 for used F-16s to be deployed to Ukraine, although the US will not provide any of its own aircraft.
The F-16s will boost Ukraine’s military strength, especially by improving its air defenses. But analysts say they will not turn the tide of the war on their own.
Russia is making small but steady gains on the battlefield in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region and its steady advance is building up as Ukraine gradually gives up ground.
