Ukraine: No Hope for Using F-16 Fighters This Year

Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat stated on local television late Wednesday that it is clear Ukraine "will not be able to defend itself using F-16 fighters during the upcoming fall and winter." Ihnat mentioned, "We had high hopes for this aircraft to become part of our air defense system, to protect us from the terror of Russian missiles and drones." Ukraine has frequently requested its Western allies to supply it with F-16 fighters, and President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that this would indicate that the Russian invasion would end in defeat. U.S. President Joe Biden approved training programs for Ukrainian pilots on F-16s in May, but no date for the delivery of the aircraft has been announced yet.