F-16s delivered to Ukraine begin flights, first missions: Reports
3 Min Read
Ukrainian officials confirmed the jets have started their first combat missions.
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US-made F-16 fighter jets fly in the sky over Poland's capital as they take part in a massive military parade to celebrate the Polish Army Day, in Warsaw, Poland, Aug. 15, 2023 (AP)
The Telegraph reported on Wednesday that the F-16 fighter jets recently delivered to Ukraine have begun their initial flights in an "air defense" role.
The newspaper also noted that Ukrainian officials confirmed the jets have started their first combat missions.
Bloomberg reported moments ago, citing sources familiar with the situation, that the initial batch of NATO-supplied F-16s had arrived in Ukraine, although the exact number of aircraft was not specified, only described as a small quantity.
Read more: Dutch FM announces F-16 deployment to Ukraine
Since the start of the war in February 2022, Kiev has urgently requested F-16 fighter jets. Since then, multiple NATO members have committed to sending the US-made jets known for their precision and speed, and Ukrainian pilots have been training extensively in NATO countries for their deployment.
On July 10, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the transfer of F-16 fighter jets from Europe to Ukraine was underway "coming from Denmark, coming from the Netherlands, and those jets will be flying in the skies of Ukraine this summer to make sure that Ukraine can continue to effectively defend itself against the Russian aggression."
Moscow claims F-16s will not change the war's outcome, just as other Western weapons have failed to do. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated earlier this year that the Russian military would destroy the planes, as it has done with other Ukrainian hardware.
The decision by Washington and its allies to provide Ukraine with Western-made heavy armor in early 2023, such as US-made Abrams tanks and German-made Leopard tanks, prompted Russian businesses and officials to offer rewards for capturing or destroying this equipment on the frontline.
FORES, a private company, announced on July 17 that there is a substantial reward for the first Russian soldier to destroy a US-made F-16 fighter jet. The company has previously offered bounties for Western equipment destroyed by the Russian military.
“There will be a reward for destroying the F-15 and F-16 fighter jets,” FORES's deputy CEO, Ilya Potanin, said in a video published by the Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday.
Read more: Czech army to get 14 Leopard tanks from Germany for helping Ukraine
