Ukraine expects F-16 very soon, but only half of assistance is being delivered on time - Defense Minister
Photo: Rustem Umerov, Minister of Defense of Ukraine (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine expects its Western allies to provide F-16 fighter jets as military assistance very soon, states Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in an interview with Reuters.
He revealed that currently, Russian forces are attempting to open a new front in the north.
"We are withstanding, but of course, we need more weapons, we need more firing power, we need long-range missiles, not to allow them to enter our state," the minister emphasized.
According to him, Ukraine is grateful to Western countries for all the assistance provided, but only half of it is delivered within the established deadlines.
"Time is super-crucial and, to repel the attacks, we need to have (the deliveries) on time in place," Umerov noted.
The Minister of Defense emphasized that he expects the delivery of F-16 "hopefully very, very soon."
Umerov also added that Ukraine needs "as many F-16s as we may get."
"At this stage, we are focused on training our personnel ... pilots, we are focused on infrastructure, we are focused on bringing operational and maintenance teams and we are working on modernization or bringing on more platforms," the minister said.
F-16s for Ukraine
F-16 fighter jets are one of the main needs for Ukrainian defenders, as Ukraine significantly lags behind Russia in terms of aviation.
The supply of such aircraft has already been announced by Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Norway.
However, today, on May 28, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Hadja Lahbib, announced that her country will transfer 30 F-16s to Ukrainian defenders by 2028.
