The recent delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine means there will be "more downed missiles and planes used by Russian criminals to attack Ukrainian cities," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Aug. 4.
Syrskyi made the comments in a Facebook post, following confirmation earlier in the day by President Volodymyr Zelensky that Ukrainian pilots are already using the first batch of recently delivered F-16s.
In his post, Syrskyi thanked allies for their decision.
The Times reported on Aug. 1 that the first batch of planes included six jets provided by the Netherlands, while the Economist reported on Aug. 4 that Ukraine received 10 F-16 jets at the end of July.
Although some defense experts do not expect F-16s to become game-changers in the war, the jets may strengthen Ukraine's air defense capabilities and shield the country's population centers from Russia's daily bombardments.
Kyiv has been calling for these U.S.-made fourth-generation jets since the very first year of the full-scale war in order to bolster its air force, which made up of Soviet-made aircraft and has been significantly depleted over the past years of war.
Chris York
