F-16 in Ukraine. Zelenskyy shows first fighter jets received

The Head of State confirmed that the partner countries had handed over F-16 fighters to the Ukrainian army. The official announcement of the receipt of the planes was made on the symbolic date of August 4, the Day of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"F-16 in Ukraine. We have ensured this. I am proud of all our guys who are mastering these aircraft and have already started using them for our country," Zelenskyy said.

photos by Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine

Ukraine received F-16 fighter jets as part of an aviation coalition that was established in the spring of 2023. Initially, it was joined by just over 10 countries, but later the coalition expanded. It was led by the Netherlands and Denmark, which were among the first to announce their intention to provide Ukraine with F-16s.

photos by Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine

Earlier it was reported that Ukraine would receive dozens of aircraft. It was about 60 fighters. The allies warned that the deliveries would not take place immediately. The main factor in this matter is the training of both pilots and technicians, as well as the preparation of the infrastructure for aircraft maintenance.

Today, on August 4, The Economist reported that Ukraine will receive 79 F-16s, 20 of which will arrive by the end of this year. The rest of the fighters, according to the authors, will arrive in batches during 2025.

photos by Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine

How many aircraft has Ukraine already received?

It is not known for certain how many F-16s have already been delivered to Ukraine. The Times recently reported that Ukraine had allegedly received six planes from the Netherlands.

At the same time, The Economist, mentioned above, claims that the first 10 F-16s have arrived in Ukraine.

There was information that the F-16s had already been used for the first time in Ukraine and were used for air defense. Read more about this in RBC-Ukraine's article.