Russian politicians began to threaten strikes on European airfields, where the F-16s transferred to Ukraine will be based.
Points of attention
- Ukraine plans to deploy fighter jets abroad to protect against possible Russian strikes.
- The US and several European countries provide Ukraine with F-16s and pilot training.
- Ukrainian authorities expect to train 12 fighter pilots by September 2024.
Russia is once again panicking over the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine
Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defense Andriy Kartapolov said that if the F-16s participate in combat sorties, they are a legitimate target for the Russian Armed Forces. Including the airfields on which they are based.
Kartapolov noted that if the planes remain at the airfields, as in storage, from where they will be transported to Ukraine, "where they are equipped, maintenance is carried out, and they start flying from Ukrainian airfields, then in this case there are no complaints against the "former partners".
But if they take off from the airfields of some country, enter the airspace of Ukraine, launch missiles and return there, then this is a legitimate goal. As for (the possibility, — ed.) to shoot down, we can shoot down anyone and anywhere, — stressed the deputy.
Earlier, Serhii Golubtsov, Chief of Aviation of the Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said that Ukraine will place part of its F-16 fighter jets at air bases abroad. This will protect the fighter jets from Russian strikes, and Ukrainian pilots will also train on them.
What is known about the transfer of F-16 to Ukraine
After the G7 summit, it became known that the USA unblocked the training of Ukrainian pilots on fighter jets and the supply of air transport by other states.
On August 20, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced that the country plans to send 19 F-16 aircraft to Ukraine, the first six closer to the New Year.
Zelensky said that the Netherlands will provide 42 aircraft. The planes will be dispatched after conditions are met, including providing the necessary infrastructure and completing pilot training.
On November 13, a training centre for F-16 pilots, where Ukrainians will be trained, was opened at the air base in Feteşti, Romania, 100 km from Bucharest.
In February 2024, Foreign Policy, citing high-ranking officials from the EU, wrote that the first American F-16 fighter jets will appear in Ukraine approximately in June 2024, and the Ukrainian authorities expect that by the end of the fiscal year in the United States (September) training 12 pilots will take part in the fighters.
