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War in Ukraine
Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said that any F-16s delivered to Ukraine would be shot down and have little impact on the battlefield in response to reports that the first fighter jets have arrived.
Aug. 1
War in Ukraine
Have long-awaited US-made F-16 fighters finally appeared over Ukrainian skies? Wagner element sighted among troops in Venezuela; Ukrainian drone shoots down helicopter.
Aug. 1
F-16
Sources told Bloomberg that a small batch of F-16s multirole fighters have arrived in Ukraine just in time before the set deadline.
Jul. 31
War in Ukraine
Although Kremlin strike planners probably didn’t intend to hit a NATO member, Romania’s military launched F-16s fighters and said it would investigate.
Jul. 24
Crimea
Russian media cited unnamed social media reports of the sighting of at least four F-16 fighters, having taken off from Romania, making test flights over the western Black Sea.
Jul. 19
Netherlands
According to Amsterdam, Ukraine most likely will first use F-16s for air defense, not surface attack. And Athens wants to add some advanced variants of the warplane to Kyiv’s combat fleet.
Jul. 19
Zelensky
The leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) said Berlin should help Ukraine “restore sovereignty over its own airspace” by transferring combat aircraft, which is easier said than done.
Jul. 15
F-16
Kyiv says all weapons were shot down and Ukraine’s only airfield ever to handle frontline US combat aircraft was undamaged. Russia has been pounding the base repeatedly for some time.
Jul. 12
NATO
Though Ukraine’s membership was not on the agenda, NATO pledged long-term aid for Ukraine even as future US continued participation in the Alliance remains uncertain.
Jul. 12
Sweden
Kyiv decided that adopting and integrating two different Western airframes simultaneously would be too difficult for Ukraine to handle, but Sweden left open future options to get the nimble fighter.
Jul. 11
War in Ukraine
The United States, the Netherlands and Denmark announced Wednesday that the transfer of the planes had begun, saying Ukraine "will be flying operational F-16s this summer."
Jul. 11
US
A Foreign Flying Legion may be Ukraine’s best chance – much like WWI’s French Lafayette Escadrille or WWII’s Flying Tigers in China, private US citizens could bring a significant impact to the war.
Jul. 9
War in Ukraine
Ukraine is hopeful that these advanced US-made jets will help achieve air superiority over Russia and better protect its troops and cities from daily bombardments.
Jul. 8
War in Ukraine
Ukraine’s airmen are attempting something difficult: Deploying an unfamiliar, modern fighter into an air war in progress, against a more powerful opponent. It’s not going as smoothly as hoped.
Jul. 3
War in Ukraine
Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren provided the update to the Dutch parliament but didn’t disclose delivery details, citing “operational security” concerns.
Jul. 2
F-16
“My recommendation to Ukrainians: before embarking on risky missions, the pilots need to become well-versed in the use of these aircraft,” says Denmark’s Air Force commander.
Jun. 30
Lawmakers are scheduled to debate national air defense law on Wednesday. Some say that if a Russian attack drone violates Romanian air space, the Air Force should be allowed to open fire.
Sep. 11