Ukraine will not receive F-16 fighters until the end of 2023 – Ignat
Ukraine will not receive American F-16 fighters until the end of 2023.
This was confirmed by the spokesman of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yuriy Ignat on the air of the national telethon.
– It is already obvious that we will not be able to protect Ukraine with F-16 aircraft this fall and winter, – he said.
According to him, great hopes were placed on the F-16 fighter, because thanks to their properties, the Ukrainian sky could be better protected from Russian missile terror.
At the same time, Yuriy Ignat says that pilot training will really start in the near future.
– But, be that as it may, the issue has shifted. We understand that our pilots will be training in the near future. But at the same time, our air defense needs to be strengthened, – he added.
The main reason for the delay in the training of Ukrainian pilots is cited by the Western media as the lack of agreement between the Western partners regarding the plan of the training program.
Earlier, official representatives of Ukraine, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyу, stated that the training of Ukrainian pilots will begin in August.
The timing of the start of training directly affects the pace of deliveries of F-16 fighters to Ukraine.
In addition, the day before, Ignat stated that the Russian missile attack with hypersonic missiles on airfields was aimed, in particular, at young Ukrainian pilots who are supposed to undergo training on the F-16.
