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 the US confirmed the planes had been delivered to the Kyiv government after the “robust package” to help was unveiled at the recent Nato summit in Washington.
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 modern aircraft.
F-16s, built by American aerospace manufacturer 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.
— Gabrielius Landsbergis🇱🇹 (@GLandsbergis) July 31, 2024
“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 completed.
Ukraine’s Air Force did not immediately respond to a 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.
No date for the others has yet been made public.
Britain’s prime minister Sir Keir Starmer also gave his backing to the country in recent weeks, giving the go-ahead for British missiles to be used in strikes against targets inside Russia.
The use of Storm Shadow missiles, which has been welcomed by Ukraine, represents a shift in policy from the stance taken by the former Conservative government.
John Healey, the new defence secretary for the UK, said he would not go into specifics about how operations would work but told Sky News that Britain "will do all we can to help Ukraine in their fight to repel Putin's invasion".
Here is a look at how many jets Ukraine has pledged and what we know about the state of the armament flow to help it combat Russian forces.
How many jets does Ukraine have?
According to Forbes, Ukrainians had around 105 MiG-29s, Su-24s and Su-25s before the Russians attacked – and, a year later, still have around 105 of these types.
It is estimated Ukraine still has up to 50 Su-27s. Forbes claims these might be Ukraine’s most useful jets as they are fast, manoeuvrable, and flexible.
How many jets are being sent now?
Poland had promised Ukraine four MiG-29 fighter jets, which had been inherited from the former German Democratic Republic. It issued an update on May 17 that it has delivered almost all its jets to Ukraine.
Even before Russia invaded Ukraine, Poland was one of the loudest opponents of the Russian leadership in Europe.
The German government approved Poland’s request in mid-April last year.
Defence minister Boris Pistorius, said: “I welcome the fact that we, in the federal government, have reached this decision together.”
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.
Who else is arming Ukraine?
By a wide margin, the US provides the most military aid, followed by the UK and the EU.
On January 23 last year, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky declared that his country's forces urgently required western battle tanks to protect its borders and drive Russian troops out of occupied territory.
The same month, the US, the UK and Germany said they were sending tanks, and Germany allowed other Western countries to send German-made tanks from their fleets.
The US is sending 31 Abrams tanks, the UK is sending 14, Germany is sending 14 and the US is sending 14 Challenger 2 tanks. It is not clear if all of these have reached the battlefield.
Many European nations use the Leopard 2, which is said to be more fuel-efficient and easier to maintain than the majority of Western tanks.
Six Leopard 2 tanks were sent out to Ukraine by Spain on April 21.
Now they are receiving more support from the UK in the form of the missiles agreement, with a more “robust package” set to be unveiled over the coming week.
