Ukraine has received its first American-made F-16 fighter jets, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. “F-16s in Ukraine. We did it,” Zelensky announced during a ceremony at a secret location, standing alongside the jets. He expressed gratitude to Denmark, the Netherlands, and the US for their support in delivering the jets after an 18-month wait but noted that many more are still needed.
The arrival of these jets marks a significant enhancement of Ukraine’s air force capabilities, which have primarily relied on outdated Soviet-era aircraft. Zelensky did not specify the number of aircraft received or whether all of them were sent by the three NATO countries mentioned. Since US President Joe Biden authorized European allies to send F-16s to Ukraine in August 2023, NATO countries have pledged around 65 of these jets.
Although the UK does not possess any F-16s, it is supplying long-range Storm Shadow missiles that can be fitted to the jets. The F-16, introduced in 1978, is being phased out by many Western militaries in favor of the newer F-35, introduced in 2015. The F-16s will operate alongside Western-supplied surface-to-air missile systems such as Patriot and NASAMS, already deployed in Ukraine.
This year, Ukraine has faced a significant threat from Russian glide bombs, which are precision-guided munitions delivered from Su-34 fighter-bombers. In March alone, approximately 3,000 glide bombs were dropped. If Ukraine can safeguard its F-16s on the ground, they could help push back Russian aircraft to a point where they can no longer effectively target Ukrainian ground forces.
Kyiv had suggested keeping some F-16s at foreign military bases, a proposal that led President Vladimir Putin to warn that any Western bases housing Ukrainian jets would be considered legitimate military targets by Russia. Experts believe the F-16s could provide crucial air support to Ukrainian ground forces, which have faced intense attacks, particularly in the eastern Donbas region.
Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov previously stated that Western-made F-16s flying for Ukraine would be “shot down,” but added that these deliveries would not significantly impact the situation on the front lines.
