Former Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov is confident that the accident with the F-16 fighter jet will not affect the supply of these aircraft in any way. He said this in an interview with Radio Liberty, reports UNN.
When asked how he thought the F-16 accident might affect future deliveries of these aircraft, Reznikov replied: "You know, I at least regret the fact that it happened, and my condolences to the pilots, but also to his family, first of all. But I don't think it will affect the supply in any way, because this is a war. This is not a TV series, and our partners in the West are fully aware of this.
Reznikov noted that this tragic incident does not affect supply plans.
"And when I talked to my ministerial colleagues at the time (when Reznikov was Minister of Defense - ed.), and they understand that, although it may not sound strange, the planning of any military operation includes the factor of losses. This includes both fatalities and injuries, as well as the loss of equipment, weapons, etc. Therefore, whatever happens, whether it is a tragic incident or the results of the battle, it definitely does not affect the supply plans, because it essentially falls into the category of expected losses," Reznikov said.
He is convinced that the number of aircraft planned for transfer to Ukraine will continue.
"Therefore, I would remain optimistic here and be convinced that the number of aircraft planned to be transferred to Ukraine, the training of Ukrainian pilots, and most importantly, not only pilots, but technicians, mechanics, and operation planners, will continue," Reznikov said.
Recall
On August 29, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces officially confirmed the loss of an F-16 fighter jet and the death of the pilot while repelling a Russian missile attack. The plane shot down 4 cruise missiles but crashed while approaching the next target.
The General Staff added that a special commission of the Ministry of Defense has been appointed to investigate the causes of the crash and is working in the area of the plane's crash.
As UNN reported , Ukrainian pilot Lieutenant Colonel Oleksiy Mes was killed in the crash of an F-16 fighter jet on Monday, August 26. The Air Command "West" of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that the pilot was killed while repelling a Russian massive combined missile and air strike and destroyed three cruise missiles and one attack UAV.