The first F-16 fighter jets have arrived in Ukraine to boost the country’s battle against Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
Lithuania’s foreign minister and a US confirmed the planes had been delivered to the Kyiv government.
The first six F-16s to be supplied to Ukraine were reported to have come from the Netherlands.
Ukrainian pilots have trained in Britain and other countries on how to fly the modern aircraft.
F-16s, built by Lockheed Martin, have been on Ukraine’s wish list for a long time because of their destructive power and global availability.
The fighter jet is equipped with a 20mm cannon and can carry bombs, rockets and missiles.
“F-16s in Ukraine. Another impossible thing turned out to be totally possible,” tweeted Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.
A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the delivery had been complete.
Ukraine’s Air Force did not immediately respond to request for comment.
The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russian forces were prepared to shoot down Ukraine's first batch of F-16 jets and the weapons will not be a "panacea" for Kyiv's army.
Denmark has committed to donate 19 jets in total, while the Netherlands has promised to deliver 24 aircraft.
Both countries have been driving forces behind an international coalition to supply Ukraine with F-16s. Norway has also said that it would donate six F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian military has had to rely on a relatively small fleet of Soviet-era jets as it has fought to hold back Russia’s full-scale February 2022 invasion.
Ukrainian officials see the addition of the F-16 as a vital upgrade for its Air Force.
Analysts and officials say the F-16s will not alone prove a turning point in the war.
But it could hinder Russian attempts to gain more ground in the east of the country.
British defence chiefs say Putin’s army is expected to seize more territory in the Donetsk province of the Donbas region in coming weeks.
But they stressed that his forces were being hit by heavy casualties and had a shortage of officers.
Ukraine is also suffering high military losses as it defends its territory.
Britain has led the West in supplying military aid to Ukraine, first with anti-tank weapons, then Challenger II tanks, and long range Storm Shadow missiles.
Other countries have stepped up their military support packages for Kyiv.
The Ukraine war has seen a massive increase in the use of drones.
Kyiv is seeking to build a million drones this year to step up the air battle against Russia.
The UK has also supplied Ukraine with drones.
Ukraine’s air force said on Wednesday that it had shot down all 89 Shahed drones launched by Russia in a night-time attack, in what was one of the largest drone barrages this year.
No damage or injuries were immediately reported in the bombardment, which mostly targeted the region of Kyiv, the capital.
Russia used the same number of Iranian-developed Shahed drones in a January 1 attack, an air force statement said.
Some Russia drones targeting Ukraine have recently strayed into Nato-member Romania.
The Russian drones are being shot down by Ukraine’s Soviet-era aircraft, according to Anatolii Khrapchynskyi, an aviation expert in Kyiv.
“The air force is using electronic jamming against the drones’ GPS which forces the drones to fly at a higher altitude, which then makes it easier for Ukrainian aircraft to strike them down,” he said.
He stressed that the tactic will likely also be used as US-made F-16 fighter jets are delivered in coming weeks by Kyiv’s European partners.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces said they struck more military targets on Russian soil overnight.
They hit a warehouse for weapon storage and military equipment in the border region of Kursk, a statement from Ukraine’s General Staff said.
