Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed information about the F-16 fighter jet on August 4, when he met with military pilots at an air base.
President Zelensky proudly declared: "The F-16 is in Ukraine. We did it. I am proud that our people own these fighters and have started using them." them for our country".
He also said that Ukraine still does not have enough pilots trained to operate the F-16 or enough aircraft of this type, but many are being trained and more F-16 aircraft will be delivered soon.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi welcomed the arrival of the fighters and thanked the president and other officials for working "24/7" to protect them.
He emphasized that the appearance of these aircraft will save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers and help shoot down more Russian missiles and aircraft.
The F-16 aircraft, built by Lockheed Martin, have long been on Ukraine's wish list due to their power. The F-16 is equipped with a 20 mm cannon and can carry bombs, missiles and cruise missiles, increasing the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian air force.
Russia has targeted bases that could host F-16 aircraft and vowed to shoot them down. This shows that the deployment of the F-16 is not only a big step forward for Ukraine but also a challenge for Russia. President Zelensky said that this is "a new stage of development of the air force of the Ukrainian armed forces".
"We have done a lot to help Ukrainian forces switch to new aviation standards, Western combat aviation" - President Zelensky added.
Mr. Zelensky also hopes that through discussions at the Ukraine-NATO Council forum, he will mobilize neighboring allied countries to help block Russian missiles launched into Ukraine.
