In a rather resigned tone, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat has admitted that his country won’t be able to deploy F-16 fighter jets to counter the Russian threat, at least not this year.
Speaking on the night of Wednesday (August 16), Ihnat acknowledged that Ukraine’s aspirations for the deployment of F-16s might not materialize any time soon.
“It’s already clear that we won’t have the capability to defend Ukraine using F-16 fighter jets during the upcoming autumn and winter,” Ihnat conveyed to Ukrainian media outlets.
“We had significant expectations for these aircraft, hoping they would integrate into our air defense system to shield us from Russia’s missile and drone attacks,” he elaborated.
At an earlier point this year, Ihnat had emphasized Kyiv’s need for the F-16s to play a pivotal role in its air defense.
“These fighters possess the capability to engage aerial targets across various altitudes. By incorporating F-16s, our ground forces would be able to rapidly recapture occupied Ukrainian territories by targeting enemy command centers, military units, and logistical supply routes,” he had stated.
Repeatedly, Kyiv has implored the Western alliance to supply F-16 jets to bolster its defense against Russia’s more advanced aircraft. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky championed this cause, discussing the matter during a brief appearance at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan earlier this year.
After a series of discussions, US President Joe Biden approved a training program for Ukrainian pilots on F-16s. However, no specific timeline for the provision of the fighter planes has been communicated.
Even after announcing the training initiative, Biden ensured that Zelensky had committed to not using the jets in Russian territory.
“I have a clear commitment from Zelensky that they won’t use them to cross into Russian territory. However, wherever Russian forces are within Ukraine and its vicinity, they would have the capability to do so,” Biden informed reporters at the time.
As Kyiv continues to advocate for the F-16s, Moscow has consistently emphasized the “enormous risks” linked to supplying these aircraft.
“We observe that Western nations are still adhering to an escalation scenario. This approach carries significant risks for themselves,” remarked Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko.
“Regardless, we will take this into account within our plans, and we possess all the necessary means to achieve our objectives,” Grushko added.
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