Ukraine's Air Force says no foreign pilots participate in F-16 combat flights
Archive photo: F-16 (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
The Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat says that combat flights on F-16s are carried out by Ukrainian pilots, while information about foreign pilots is just rumors.
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According to Ihnat, reports about foreign pilots participating in combat sorties are questionable and come from a source with a dubious reputation.
“We didn’t even immediately refute it, and wanted to see the reaction of our enemy, who always immediately sees a ‘large number of foreigners’ here and so on. We will definitely study this reaction, but I want to say that our pilots are flying in our skies and achieving results that make foreigners simply amazed,” Ihnat said.
He added that Ukraine is actively cooperating with partners within the aviation coalition, but combat flights are performed by Ukrainian pilots.
They operate under the difficult conditions of dense Russian air defense, as planes can immediately come under attack from multiple missiles after completing a mission.
Origin of the reports
Some media reported earlier that an F-16 squadron was created in Ukraine involving both Ukrainian and Western pilots, who allegedly help carry out combat missions and intercept Russian missiles and drones.
The Air Force notes that such information needs to be verified, and its dissemination could have been part of information manipulation.
Ukraine continues to cooperate with partners on pilot training, exchanging experience, and improving tactics for the use of modern aviation.
