F-16 Fighting Falcon

Zelenskyy met with Dutch ministers in Odesa to discuss military aid, including F-16s and air defense support, amid Russian attacks on the city.

Newly appointed Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans made his first working visit to Ukraine, reaffirming unwavering support for Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression and discussing cooperation in military technology, procurement reform, digital solutions and air defense.

Romania has put F-16 fighter jets on alert to monitor the air situation due to Russian shelling of southern Ukraine near the Romanian border.

Having received F-16 fighter jets, Ukraine will be able to strengthen its control over the Black Sea and challenge Russia's dominance in the region's airspace, the Ukrainian Navy commander believes.

President Zelenskyy congratulated Keir Starmer and the British Labor Party on their election victory, expressed hope for strengthening the Ukrainian-British partnership and restoring international peace and security, and thanked outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for his continued support for Ukraine.

The Netherlands has authorized the export of 24 F-16 fighter jets and 7 engines to Ukraine, with the first aircraft to be delivered in the near future.

House Democrats are calling on the Pentagon to expand training for more Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets to maximize their strategic advantage in the ongoing conflict with Russia.

Already 50 Ukrainian specialists have been trained in Denmark to maintain F-16 fighter jets. The country will also train 20 Ukrainian pilots by the end of the year.

Denmark will not be able to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighters after 2024 due to the transition to F-35 aircraft.

Ukraine expects to gradually receive F-16 fighters and plans to complicate air operations as the aircraft arrive, which will be crucial in a collision with deep echelons of Russian aviation and air defense systems.

The enemy dropped 36 guided aerial bombs on the territory of the Kharkiv region, targeting civilian infrastructure, including a children's health camp in the Regional Center.

The F-16 fighter jets that Ukraine will receive this summer will protect Kharkiv from Russian aerial bombs launched from Russian airspace.

According to Jake Sullivan, the US President's National Security Advisor, the plan is to deploy the F-16s in Ukraine itself, rather than in a NATO country, as part of a bilateral security agreement between the US and Ukraine to help Ukraine acquire this capability.

Putin has called the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine a "gross violation" of Western commitments, while NATO supports Ukraine's right to defend itself using Western weapons, including strikes on Russian territory.

The occupiers in Crimea are preparing for a possible landing of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as Ukrainian partisans have discovered new Russian firing points and fortifications being built in Yevpatoriya.

Denmark announced the 19th aid package to Ukraine aimed at establishing the production of military equipment, including agreements with allies on procurement and investment in the Ukrainian defense industry, additional equipment for Danish F-16 aircraft, and supplies from Danish defense stockpiles to support Ukraine's immediate and long-term defense capabilities.

Representatives of the US Congress supported the sale of 50 F-15 fighter jets to Israel worth more than $18 billion, despite previous concerns about Israel's war in Gaza.

France plans to train 26 Ukrainian pilots over two years using Alphajets with simulated F-16 dashboards.

Ukrainian pilots are successfully defending the skies with Soviet-era fighters, as shown in a video released by the commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which demonstrates combat missions of pilots of the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade of the Center Air Command.

Ukrainian Air Force aircraft warned of an enemy missile headed for Poltava region.

The training of Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 fighter jets is being conducted in three stages, and it is expected that the pilots will soon complete their training and gain the required number of flight hours, while engineers and mechanics will also be trained in the maintenance of these aircraft.

Ukraine is taking all necessary measures to ensure the effective operation and deployment of F-16 fighters on its territory, including training of Ukrainian pilots to operate these aircraft.

Ukraine should not expect a quick effect from receiving F-16s, as pilots need time to get used to Ukrainian airspace, and the number and modification of the F-16s received will determine their effectiveness in performing complex tasks.

Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky said that the nature of Russian troops' actions has not changed significantly, the enemy is focusing its main efforts on the Pokrovsk direction. Russia is making every effort to increase the intensity and expand the geography of hostilities, in particular to exhaust Ukrainian forces before the arrival of F-16s and new weapons, but Ukrainian soldiers demonstrate resilience, courage and faith in victory, the Commander-in-Chief noted.

According to Ukraine's First Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Havryliuk, with new military aid from the United States, Russia's advantages on the battlefield are gradually diminishing: its advantage in artillery has dropped from 7 to 1 to 5 to 1.

The countries participating in the contact group have allocated more than $98 billion in security assistance to Ukraine and are moving at full speed to provide Ukraine with what it desperately needs, and this must continue, and new solutions must be found, especially for Ukraine's air defense challenges, the Pentagon chief said.

Ukraine and the Netherlands discussed military cooperation, attracting support for Ukrainian defense enterprises and the program for creating an F-16 jet fighter during the visit of the Dutch Defense Minister.

Shmygal discussed joint defense production and technology exchange with Dutch Defense Minister Kassa Ollongren. As well as the global peace summit in Switzerland.

Ukraine expects to receive the first batch of F-16 fighters this year, initially at least as part of a flight (3-4 aircraft), and plans to gradually increase the number of pilots and aircraft as it receives from partner countries.

The Czech Republic can help train Ukrainian flights on F-16 and Gripen aircraft and can offer countries training on these aircraft, Czech Defense Minister Yana Chernokhova said.