The long-awaited F-16 fighter jets are due to arrive in Ukraine in a few weeks, but Ukrainian and Western officials warn that the aircraft, which Kiev once called a turning point, are unlikely to have an immediate impact on the battlefield due to limited supply and a significant number of Russian air defenses, the newspaper reported.
The first F-16s are expected to be used primarily for strengthening Ukraine's air defenses and are unlikely to fly too close to the front line, according to the officials.
The officials have refused to specify the number of fighters that Ukraine will receive this year, but it will be no more than one squadron, about 20 jets.
In mid-July, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned the United States and its NATO allies of catastrophic consequences of a direct armed clash with Russia, adding that Moscow sees the presence of nuclear capable F-16s in Ukraine as a nuclear threat.