U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets are on their way to Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday, announcing the fulfillment of a key commitment a year in the making.
Blinken, speaking at NATO’s public forum, said advanced fighter jets are expected to defend the skies over Ukraine “this summer.”
Blinken did not identify the number of F-16s sent from the Netherlands and Denmark to Ukraine. A joint statement from Washington, The Hague and Copenhagen said further details were being withheld for “operational security”.
The delivery of the F-16s follows President Biden’s announcement that NATO allies are providing five more air defense systems to Ukraine as the country continues to face devastating Russian missile attacks.
“These jets will fly in the skies over Ukraine this summer to ensure that Ukraine can continue to effectively defend itself against Russian aggression,” Blinken said in a statement.
President Biden first announced in June 2023 that NATO partners would commit to supplying Ukraine with F-16s. In May, the first Ukrainian pilots graduate from a training program in the USA.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the announcement for bolstering Ukraine’s air defense. The urgent need for such help was underscored by a Russian missile attack on Sunday that hit a children’s hospital in Kiev – with around 300 injured, including four children, and two deaths, including a young doctor.
In remarks at the Reagan Foundation on Tuesday night, Zelensky said Ukraine needs 128 F-16s to defend itself from Russian airstrikes.
“We need 128, this is the fleet, all these numbers our partners have,” Zelensky said.
“So, by the time we have 128 with them in heaven – either way, it will be difficult.”
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