Zelenskiy says the first F-16s will not play a key role

Zelenskiy says the first F-16s will not play a key role

Kyiv  •  UNN

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The first F-16 fighter jets to arrive in Ukraine this year will not play a key role due to their insufficient number, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes.

The first F-16 fighter jets to arrive in Ukraine will not play a key role, as their number will not be sufficient.  President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this in an interview with the French news agency AFP, according to a UNN correspondent.

Details

Asked when the first  F-16s are expected, Zelenskyy said they will be delivered this year, but will not play a key role.

The former will not play a key role. We also need to treat everything fairly, realizing that the first ones will not play a role, because their number will not be sufficient. But these are the first steps

- He said.

Addendum

Zelenskiy statedthat Ukraine needs 120-130 F-16 fighters or other advanced aircraft to have parity with Russia.

Dutch Defense Minister Keesa Ollongren reportedthat this summer Ukraine will receive the first F-16 fighter jets. Initially, Ukraine will receive the planes from Denmark. However, by this time, Kyiv should have prepared the infrastructure for the fighters and provided the capabilities for their maintenance.

Ukraine expects to receive first F-16s in June-July - mass mediaMay 12 2024, 07:45 AM • 37582 views