Speaking during the awarding ceremony on the Day of the Ukrainian Air Force on 4 August 2024, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the first F-16 fighter jets have arrived in Ukraine. He also thanked Ukrainian servicemen of the Air Force who have been protecting Ukrainian skies for two and a half years of the full-scale war and didn’t allow Russians to take dominance in the sky despite much fewer means at Ukraine’s Air Force disposal.
“Today we honor the strength and skill of our people, thanks to whom the skies of Ukraine remain Ukrainian… The Russian occupier was very hopeful of destroying our Ukrainian aviation and air defense — our ability to defend our state. But Ukrainians did not let that happen. And this is true heroism — when our Air Force warriors had to confront the larger Russian air fleet, and yet Ukraine was able to achieve its goals, was able to defend itself, was able to destroy the occupier.“
At the same time, he highlighted that the delivery of F-16s begins a new phase of Ukraine’s Air Force’s development. He noted that hundreds of meetings and negotiations were needed to make the delivery possible a year after the US finally agreed to greenlight the supply of the jets.
“We are now at a new phase in the development of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine… We have held hundreds of meetings and negotiations to strengthen the capabilities of our aviation… We have often heared the word “impossible” in response, but we have made possible what was our ambition, our defense need, and now it is actually a reality, a reality in our skies. F-16s are in Ukraine. We made it happen. I’m proud of all our guys who are skillfully mastering these aircraft and have already started using them for our state.“
Zelenskyy specially thanked Denmark and the Netherlands, who first agreed to supply the jets, as well as the US, which agreed to supply necessary missiles and bombs for the F-16s.
“I thank all our partners who are really effectively helping us with the F-16s and the first states that accepted our request for the provision of the aircraft. Thank you, Denmark, the Netherlands, the United States, and all our partners — we appreciate your support!”
The delay in providing sufficient numbers of F-16s was due to a “pitiful” lack of training slots for Ukrainian pilots–a “policy decision by the administration,” says Ben Hodges, a former commander of American forces in Europe.
Ukraine reportedly receives 10 F-16 fighter jets in the first batch
At the same time, Zelenskyy urged partners to allow “truly long-range strikes” on Russian airfields with Western weapons. He also praised recent attacks by Ukrainian drones, saying Ukraine must destroy those bases from where Russia launches strikes against Ukraine and conducts bombing of Ukrainian troops.
Related:
- Ukraine reportedly receives 10 F-16 fighter jets in the first batch
- Russians shelled Ukraine’s northern region 126 times in a single day, underscoring that the entire border remains an active frontline
- Ukraine’s Air Force has already downed over 8000 Russian targets and conducted over 20,000 combat sorties
- Zelenskyy urges partners to allow “truly long-range strikes” on Russian airfields with Western weapons
- Two of five Russian airfields in occupied Crimea left without aircraft, Ukrainian Navy says