First F-16 fighter jets from West arrive in Ukraine

The first F-16 fighter jets have arrived in Ukraine. Western countries have delivered a handful of the aircraft for the Ukrainian armed forces to use in the fight against Russia, Bloomberg reported.

Several countries, including the Netherlands, promised Ukraine F-16 fighter jets. For operational security reasons, the Dutch Ministry of Defense would not tell NOS whether the jets that have arrived in Ukraine are Dutch ones. The Ukrainian air force would not confirm receipt for the same reason.

In recent months, Dutch soldiers have helped train Ukrainian and Romanian pilots to operate the F-16 fighter jets. Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans recently told BNR that the Ukrainian pilots do not yet have enough experience to use the F-16s for ground support, but they can use them for air defense.

Ukraine had to wait more than a year for the F-16s since United States President Joe Biden gave the green light for Western countries to supply the American-made jets to the country. The Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, and Norway together promised over 60 fighter jets to Ukraine, which says it needs twice as many to repel Russian attacks.

In addition to the F-16s, the Netherlands and Denmark will supply Ukraine with 14 tanks this summer. The tanks were purchased and refurbished in Germany.