Zelensky: Kiev needs 160 F-16s to prevent Russia from dominating the sky
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kiev needs about 160 F-16 fighters to prevent Russian pilots from dominating the airspace. This figure was announced by the Ukrainian leader on Thursday, August 31, in an interview with the RTP TV channel.
"Today we have an agreement on the future delivery of 50-60 fighters. Why am I saying this? Because at different times we will have different numbers of fighters. In total, we need about 160 fighters to have a powerful air force that will not give Russia the opportunity to dominate the airspace," he said.
At the same time, Zelensky added that the promised deliveries of fighter jets by the West are taking place "later than he wanted" and that Russian dominance in the sky is "absolute."
Fighters should appear in the skies of Ukraine at the beginning of next year, Zelensky also noted, recognizing that the issue is complicated, since it requires training not only pilots, but also engineers and other maintenance personnel.
At the same time, also on Thursday, the adviser to the command of the country's air force, Yuri Ignat, said that 60 F-16 fighters are enough for Kiev to carry out combat missions.
On the same day, The New York Times newspaper, citing American officials, said that Kiev was trying to coordinate the delivery of F-16 fighter jets as soon as possible against the background of a possible change in the political situation in Western countries. According to the publication, Zelensky's statements to receive fighter jets in the future are aimed at consolidating the obligations of the West if the failed counteroffensive affects the mood of politicians.
Zelensky announced on August 20 that an agreement had been reached with the Danish authorities on the supply of F-16s. Danish Defense Minister Jacob Ellemann-Jensen clarified that 19 fighters will be transferred. Zelensky also reached an agreement with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on the supply of F-16 fighter jets to Kiev. The Ukrainian president said that a total of 42 aircraft will be delivered to Kiev.
The day before, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said that the supply of F-16s to Ukraine has serious consequences. According to him, Russia considers the appearance of fighters of this type in the hands of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a threat to security in the nuclear sphere. The diplomat called the F-16 deliveries a crazy decision that is being made against the background of awareness of the impasse into which Washington has driven itself.
Western countries have increased military and financial support for Ukraine with the start of Russia's special operation to protect Donbass, which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022. The decision to launch it was made due to the aggravation of the situation in the region as a result of the aggression of Ukrainian troops.
