Ukraine awaiting arrival of F-16 aircraft, missiles with range of 300-500 km – Gen. Naiev
Ukraine receives longer-range weapons from the Western allies, the Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Serhiy Naiev, said on Facebook.
The delivery of F-16 fighter jets and missiles with a range of 300-500 km is currently expected.
"In further packages of military aid, Ukraine is waiting for F-16 aircraft and missiles with a range of 300-500 kilometers," Naiev said, stressing that this will allow the Defense Forces of Ukraine to achieve even greater success on the battlefield and liberate the territory from the enemy.
As the commander of the United Forces noted, with the appearance in the summer of 2022 of the M142 HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, and later the M270 MLRS, the Russian army suffered even more significant losses in the logistical support of its advanced units.
Also, the enemy was forced to move their field depots and control points to a distance of more than 100 km from the front line. Naiev stressed that this led to an increase in the logistical "shoulder" of transporting ammunition and materials, the complication of military management, the loss of offensive capabilities and the transition to forced defense.
The general also noted that with the entry into service of the PATRIOT anti-aircraft missile system in April 2023, Ukraine's anti-missile shield was further strengthened by increasing the range of destruction of aerodynamic targets at a distance of up to 150 km.
Belgium plans to send two F-16 fighters to Denmark and about 50 people in the period from March to September 2024 to train Ukrainian pilots.
On January 6, the Berlingske newspaper, citing the Danish Ministry of Defense, reported that the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine was allegedly delayed for half a year and that Ukraine still "has not fulfilled a number of conditions for it to be able to use the fighter jets." According to the current schedule, the transfer of the aircraft should take place in the second quarter of 2024.
Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat called for trust in information from official sources. He noted that the Danish Defense Ministry did not publish any information about the "delay". He also emphasized that handing over the planes before the New Year "made no sense."
On January 26, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, said that Ukraine should receive F-16 fighter jets from Denmark on schedule, and there is currently no threat of disruptions to this program.