By Anastasiia Malenko
(Reuters) – Ukrainian pilots have began flying F-16s for operations throughout the nation, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated on Sunday, confirming the long-awaited arrival of the U.S.-made fighter jets greater than 29 months since Russia’s invasion.
The Ukrainian chief introduced the usage of F-16s, which Kyiv has lengthy lobbied for, as he met army pilots at an air base flanked by two of the jets with two extra flying overhead.
“F-16s are in Ukraine. We did it. I’m pleased with our guys who’re mastering these jets and have already began utilizing them for our nation,” Zelenskiy stated at a location that authorities requested Reuters to not disclose for safety causes.
The arrival of the jets is a milestone for Ukraine after many months of ready, although it stays unclear what number of can be found and the way a lot of an affect they are going to have in enhancing air defences and on the battlefield.
Russia has been focusing on bases that will home them and vowed to shoot them down so they won’t affect the struggle.
Constructed by Lockheed Martin, the F-16s had been on Ukraine’s want record for a very long time due to their harmful energy and international availability. They’re geared up with a 20mm cannon and might carry bombs, rockets and missiles.
Speaking to reporters on the tarmac of an airfield, Zelenskiy stated Ukraine nonetheless didn’t have sufficient pilots skilled to make use of the F-16s or sufficient of the jets themselves.
“The optimistic factor is that we expect further F-16s … many guys at the moment are coaching,” he stated.
It was necessary, he stated, that Kyiv’s allies discovered methods to broaden coaching programmes and alternatives for each Ukrainian pilots and engineering groups.
‘NEW AVIATION STANDARD’
Ukraine has beforehand relied on an ageing fleet of Soviet-era warplanes which are outgunned by Russia’s extra superior and way more quite a few fleet.
Russia has used that edge to conduct common long-range missile strikes on targets throughout Ukraine and likewise to pound Ukrainian entrance line positions with 1000’s of guided bombs, supporting its forces which are slowly advancing within the east.
“That is the brand new stage of growth of the air drive of Ukraine’s armed forces,” Zelenskiy stated.
“We did so much for Ukrainian forces to transition to a brand new aviation normal, the Western fight aviation,” he added, citing lots of of conferences and unrelenting diplomacy to acquire the F-16s.
“We regularly heard ‘it’s unimaginable’ as a solution however we nonetheless made our ambition, our defensive want, potential,” he stated.
It stays unclear what missiles the jets are geared up with. An extended vary of missile would enable them to have a better battlefield affect, army analysts say.
Zelenskiy stated he additionally hoped to foyer allied neighbouring international locations to assist intercept Russian missiles being launched at Ukraine via conversations on the Ukraine-NATO Council platform.
“That is one other instrument, and I need to strive it, in order that NATO international locations can discuss to Ukraine about the potential for a small coalition of neighbouring international locations capturing down enemy missiles,” he stated.
“I believe this resolution might be tough for our companions, they’re at all times afraid of extreme escalation however we’re preventing that.”
(Writing by Tom Balmforth; Enhancing by Andrew Cawthorne)
