Ukraine to get six F-16 jets this summer, and up to 20 more by year end
Illustrative photo: Ukraine plans to receive 20 F-16s by the end of the year (Getty Images)
Ukraine plans to receive six F-16 aircraft already this summer. By the end of the year, their number could increase to 20, according to Bloomberg.
According to one of the media sources, Ukraine will likely be able to deploy a squadron of F-16s - from 15 to 24 aircraft. According to another source, Kyiv expects to receive six F-16s this summer and up to 20 by the end of the year.
At the same time, partner countries have had doubts about the advisability of sending aircraft to Ukraine and whether it is currently a very expensive show of support for the country.
"'People shouldn’t expect miracles' from the F-16s against Russia," said a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, Jim Townsend.
He believes that the airfields where these aircraft will be based will be "nice, juicy targets, and the Russians have already been hitting some of them, just as a welcome to the real world for these F-16s."
F-16s for Ukraine
Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine needs at least 128 F-16 fighters to effectively compete with Russia in the sky.
At the NATO summit in Washington, it became known that F-16s were already on their way to Ukraine. It was previously reported that Denmark intends to transfer 19 fighters to Ukraine.
