Yuri Kobzar21:29, 06.10.24
He also confirmed that it was the Netherlands that provided Ukraine with the first aircraft of this type.
The first F-16 fighters that Ukraine received at the end of July were supplied by the Netherlands. This was officially confirmed for the first time by the country’s Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans at the X platform . He visited Kharkiv today.
“I can officially announce for the first time that the first Dutch F-16s have been delivered to Ukraine. This is an urgent need. In Kharkov, I saw the damage from Russian air strikes and heard frequent air raid sirens,” he said.
Brekelmans also said that in the coming months Ukraine will receive the rest of the 24 aircraft promised by the Netherlands.
The first F-16s in service in Ukraine
As UNIAN reported, in early August, Western media, citing informed sources, began writing that Ukraine had received its first F-16 fighters. It was reported that six aircraft had been transferred from the Netherlands .
It was only on August 4 that Ukrainian officials officially confirmed the delivery of the aircraft. On Air Force Day, President Volodymyr Zelensky personally showed them off . However, it was not reported at the time how many aircraft Ukraine had received, or from whom.
In total, Ukraine is to receive 79 such aircraft from its allies . Unfortunately, at the end of August, one F-16 already crashed during a combat mission .
(c)UNIAN 2024
The first Dutch F16-s are ‘inside’ Ukraine and ‘working on the Russians’.
Another dozen and a half is nice to have, but not much use if Ukraine only has 5 pilots trained on the F-16.