Ukrainian pilots have begun training on U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets in a development that could shift the balance of Kyiv’s counteroffensive against Russian invaders after 18 months of war.
While the arrival of the advanced aircraft into the conflict, and the preparation of Ukrainian military personnel is likely to take several months, officials in Kyiv hailed the development over the weekend.
It was not immediately clear when the first F-16s might enter the conflict. Officials said Ukrainian pilots will first have to undergo at least six months of training. Russian forces have continued to carry out sporadic missile attacks, often targeting Ukrainian civilians in cities far deep inside Ukraine and far from the frontline in the country’s east.
The government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been seeking F-16s and other advanced weaponry from the U.S. and NATO for more than a year. It remains to be seen how many F-16s will get transferred to Ukraine. Ukrainian air forces supporting infantry are currently using decades-old Soviet-era planes, which are vulnerable to air-to-air missile attacks from Russian fighter jets, Capt. Yevgen Rakita, a spokesman for the 18th Army Aviation Brigade, told The Associated Press.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
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