Provided by Denmark, the US-made fighter jets will strengthen the country’s air defenses, according to Vladimir Zelensky
Ukraine has received a second batch of US-made F-16 fighter jets from Denmark, Vladimir Zelensky has announced. The aircraft will help protect the country from Russian airstrikes, he has claimed.
The Ukrainian leader made the announcement on Saturday morning, without clarifying how many of the advanced warplanes Kiev had received or whether they had already been deployed. Zelensky claimed, however, that “the aircraft from the first batch, provided by the Danish people, are already intercepting Russian missiles.”
“Now, our air shield has been further strengthened,” Zelensky wrote on X, thanking Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen for her continued support.
The US allowed its NATO allies to provide Kiev with F-16s in the summer of 2023, with several Western countries helping to train Ukrainian pilots. According to media reports, Kiev is supposed to receive around 80 jets, with Denmark committed to supplying a total of 19 F-16s.
Kiev announced the arrival of the first batch of aircraft from Denmark and the Netherlands this August. The same month, however, Ukraine lost one of the jets, along with a veteran pilot who was killed in the crash. The exact cause of the incident remains unclear, with one version being friendly fire from one of the country’s US-made Patriot missiles. Following the loss, Zelensky fired his Air Force commander.
Western media reports have warned that the F-16s won’t be a “game changer” on the battlefield because they won’t have a decisive advantage over their Russian rivals.
Moscow has denounced the Western arms shipments, warning that they will only prolong the conflict without changing the outcome. It has also said that F-16 deliveries represent an escalation of hostilities.
