Zelenskyy: We need 160 F-16s. Allies have already agreed to provide 50-60 aircraft

Ukraine's Air Force needs at least 160 F-16 fighters to prevent Russia from dominating the air, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with the Portuguese broadcaster RTP.

"In general, we need about 160 aircraft to make it a powerful air fleet that would prevent Russia from dominating the skies," the head of state said.

According to him, Ukraine currently has agreements with Western allies on the supply of 50-60 combat aircraft.

Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine needs F-16s not for attacking Russia, but for its own defense.

The President added that the first such aircraft may appear in the Ukrainian sky at the beginning of 2024.

On August 20, Zelenskyy visited the Netherlands and Denmark. Both countries undertook to transfer F-16 fighters to Ukraine ( 42 aircraft will be provided by the Netherlands, 19 by Denmark). Some of the planes from the Netherlands will be used for training.

Ukraine should use the F-16 only on its territory – not within Russia. Such conditions were announced by the Minister of Defense of Denmark. The Ukrainian Armed Forces accept these conditions, said Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat.