Military

Belgium to Supply Ukraine With 30 F-16 Jets by 2028 - Foreign Minister

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Belgium will supply Ukraine with 30 F-16 fighter jets by 2028, with the first aircraft expected to arrive before the end of this year, Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said on Tuesday.
Sputnik
"Belgium pledges to transfer 30 of its F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by 2028," Lahbib told the RTL radio broadcaster, adding that the first aircraft may be delivered by the end of 2024.
Earlier in May, media reported that the first batches of F-16 fighter jets from Western nations would be delivered to Kiev regime by June or July. In a conversation with military pilots that took place in March, Russian President Vladimir Putin underscored that the supply of F-16s would not change the situation on the battlefield.
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Ministry of Defense officials believe that Russian air defense will need about 20 days to down first batch of F-16 fighter jets.
Nevertheless, Moscow stressed it would treat the jets as nuclear-capable assets.
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