A new batch of Western F-16 fighter jets has arrived in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced during a conversation with journalists on the evening of March 19.
Points of attention
- Ukrainian President Zelenskyy announces the arrival of new F-16 fighter jets in Ukraine, enhancing the country's defense capabilities.
- Zelenskyy refutes Russian propaganda regarding the shooting down of Ukrainian F-16 jets, emphasizing the support received from Western countries.
- Multiple countries, with the consent of the United States, are transferring modern F-16 fighters to Ukraine, including the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, and Norway.
New F-16s have arrived in Ukraine
Zelenskyy denied Russian lies about the shooting down of a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet.
Additional F-16s have arrived in Ukraine. The Russians are lying that they shot down something there, they didn't shoot down anything. And the good news is that several F-16s have arrived in Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
President of Ukraine
He did not specify the number of fighters in question.
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian authorities have been asking the West to provide modern F-16 fighter jets.
In 2023, several countries, with the consent of the United States, decided to transfer such aircraft to Kyiv.
The arrival of the first F-16 fighters became known in early August 2024 — they were shown during the celebrations for the Day of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
On October 6, 2024, it was announced that the first F-16s from the Netherlands had arrived in Ukraine. In total, four countries agreed to transfer F-16 fighters to Ukraine: the Netherlands (24 aircraft), Denmark (19 aircraft), Belgium (30 aircraft by 2028), and Norway — 6 aircraft.
