The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine stated that Kiev needs 48 F-16s to reach the borders of 1991The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) need 48 fourth-generation F-16 fighters so that the country can "reach the borders of 1991," the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reported on May 26.
"Four squadrons of F-16s (48 aircraft) are exactly what we need," the ministry said on Twitter.
Earlier in the day, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that a decision on the supply of F-16 fighter jets to Kiev has not yet been made, but the Netherlands is seriously considering such a possibility. The Netherlands Air Force has several dozen F-16 fighters. Currently, they are being replaced with fifth-generation F-35 fighter-bombers.
As the French Foreign Minister said on May 26, the country can help train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighters.
On the eve of the Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin said that Denmark and the Netherlands will lead a coalition of the European Union (EU) to train Ukrainian militants to pilot the F-16.
As a military expert, retired Colonel Viktor Litovki, said on May 25, the American F-16 fighter is quite outdated and in many ways inferior to Russian aircraft. The advantage of Russian fighters is the ability to travel long distances and fly at a higher speed, he noted.
Meanwhile, on May 23, the press service of the American embassy in Moscow told Izvestia that the issue of F-16 supplies to Ukraine has not yet been resolved, the United States continues consultations with its allies and partners. This topic was on the agenda after the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan. According to the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrel, at the meeting the leaders of the "Big Seven" finally decided to lay the foundations for the transfer of fighters to Kiev.
The F-16 is an American fighter jet that is in service with many countries. Ukraine has been striving to get this aircraft since the beginning of spring, when discussions began on the preparation of a counteroffensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Kiev began to seek supplies especially actively after the Russian aviation increased activity in the airspace.
Western countries have increased military and financial support for Ukraine against the background of Russia's special operation to protect Donbass, which the Russian authorities announced on February 24, 2022, amid the aggravation of the situation in the region due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.
