Defense Minister Rustem Umerov hopes that Ukraine will receive F-16 fighter jets very soon. He said this in an interview with Reuters, adding that about half of the much-needed foreign military aid is arriving late, UNN reports.
Umerov said he expects the F-16s to be delivered, "hopefully very, very soon.
When asked how much Kyiv expects to receive, Umerov replied: "We need as much as we can get.
"At this stage, we are focused on training our staff... pilots, we are focused on infrastructure, we are focused on bringing in operations and maintenance teams, and we are working on modernizing or bringing in new platforms," Umerov said.
Зеленський заявив, що перші F-16 не зіграють ключової ролі 18.05.24, 17:31
According to him, Ukraine is grateful for the military aid and weapons provided by its partners, but only half of the promised supplies have arrived on time. Each delay benefited Ukraine's much larger and better-equipped enemy, with a front line that stretched 1,200 kilometers (750 miles).
Addendum
Foreign Minister Aja Labib saidthat Belgium will supply 30 of its F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by 2028.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Kroo saidthat the weapons to be provided to Ukraine by Belgium under the security agreement, including F-16 aircraft, will be used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Ukrainian territory.