Ukraine expects an additional 10 F-16 fighter jets from Belgium by the end of the year — Zelenskyy
Kyiv • UNN
Belgium plans to transfer 10 F-16s to Ukraine by the end of 2026. The aircraft are already intercepting jet-powered Shaheds and strengthening air defense.
Belgium plans to transfer 10 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of 2026. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this during his visit to Brussels, reports UNN.
Ukrainian troops are currently actively using these aircraft to intercept Russian jet-powered drones of the Shahed type, demonstrating high effectiveness.
Details
According to the head of state, F-16 fighter jets play an important role in countering Russian air attacks, in particular helping to destroy jet-powered variants of attack drones.
"F-16s are now helping greatly in repelling attacks by jet-powered Shaheds. We are working with Belgium to receive additional fighter jets as soon as possible," Zelenskyy emphasized.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, for his part, confirmed the intention to transfer 10 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of this year. According to him, the delivery of the aircraft had been delayed due to problems Belgium faced in receiving new American F-35 fighter jets. However, their arrival is now resuming, which will make it possible to accelerate the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine.
During the meeting in Brussels, Zelenskyy and De Wever also discussed the possibility of supplying additional ammunition for the fighter jets. The President emphasized that strengthening Ukraine's air defense remains one of the key priorities amid continuous Russian attacks.
It will be recalled
On September 29, Zelenskyy reported an agreement with Belgium to transfer three F-16 fighter jets by the end of 2026 under an expedited procedure. Ukraine also received urgent batches of ammunition for these aircraft from Belgium and other partners, including Spain.