NATO-Provided F-16 Jets Reach Ukraine Amid Uncertainty Over Pilot Readiness
16:25 GMT 31.07.2024 (Updated: 16:38 GMT 31.07.2024)
© Sputnik / Alexey Vitvitsky
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The first batch of NATO-supplied F-16 fighter jets has arrived in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The agency cited sources as saying that the deadline for the delivery of the unspecified number of the US-made jets was the end of July, and it has been respected. The sources did not say how many jets have arrived, adding that it is small, the agency reported.
Bloomberg also cited sources as saying that it was unclear whether Ukrainian pilots who received training in the West to fly F-16s would be immediately able to use the jets or the process would take longer.
The first delivery of F-16 fighter jets from NATO allies has reached Ukraine, as reported by Bloomberg.
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) July 31, 2024
The number of jets is small, and it's uncertain if the Ukrainian pilots, who have been training with their Western trainers over the past months will be able to operate the… pic.twitter.com/U9mwTEC6Az
On July 10, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the first batch of F-16 fighter jets would be handed over to Ukraine in summer. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned the United States and its NATO allies that Moscow saw the presence of nuclear capable F-16s in Ukraine as a nuclear threat.
President Vladimir Putin of Russia emphasized that even if Western countries supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, they will not have the power to alter the situation on the battlefield. He warned that if these fighter jets are deployed from third-country territories, they will be considered legitimate targets for Russian forces. The president further stated that the F-16s, just like other Western equipment delivered to Kiev, would be destroyed.
