After months of waiting, the first F-16 aircraft have arrived in Ukraine. There are only a few aircraft at the moment, but even these are giving the attacked country new confidence.
Ukraine hopes that the celebrated arrival of the first American F-16 fighter jets will make a decisive contribution to the defense against the Russian attackers. “This is another important step towards our victory,” wrote Army Chief of Staff Oleksander Syrskyj on the Telegram platform. “F-16 in Ukraine – that means more killed occupiers, more intercepted missiles or planes with which the Russian criminals attack our Ukrainian cities.”
“The F-16s are in Ukraine” – with these words, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj presented the first fighter planes with his country’s insignia at an unspecified military airfield. The occasion for the presentation was Air Force Day. “We have done a lot to bring the Ukrainian Air Force up to a new standard, that of Western fighter planes,” he said to the soldiers and pilots who had lined up for the parade.
He recalled the many previous meetings and discussions with foreign partners about ways to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense. The word “impossible” was often used – wrongly, as it now turns out. A video posted on the X platform shows various fighter planes flying, including the F-16, with the yellow and blue cockades of Ukraine on the wings.
Zelensky did not provide any information on how many fighter jets have now arrived in Ukraine. “So far, the number of F-16s in Ukraine and the number of pilots already trained are not enough,” he said. Western media recently reported that between six and ten aircraft had been handed over to Kiev.
Ukraine expects dozens of jets
The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Belgium have together promised Ukraine over 60 of these American-made fighter jets and have taken over the training of Ukrainian pilots and ground personnel. According to American media reports, the jets’ weapons and equipment will come from the USA. Germany, which does not have any F-16s in its fleet, did not contribute to this strengthening of the Ukrainian Air Force.
The fighter aircraft is one of the most powerful military jets in the world and is used in more than two dozen countries. The aircraft from the US company Lockheed can be used both for air defense and against targets on the ground, i.e. to push back enemy units. The F-16 is also capable of flying at extremely low altitudes and in all weather conditions.
Zelensky did not provide any details on how the new fighter jets will be used. “You will certainly see the results, although not all of them,” Zelensky said in an interview with journalists. “We will then decide whether to say whether these were results of the use of F-16s.”
According to Ukrainian military experts, the F-16s are unlikely to be flown in direct air battles with Russian aircraft over the front, as Russia has built up a dense air defense network. In addition, the Russian military may try to destroy F-16s parked at Ukrainian bases.
Ukrainian missile attacks on Luhansk
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian armed forces attacked several targets in the Luhansk region in the east of the country with long-range rockets and cruise missiles – including a fuel depot, the state agency Tass reported, citing military sources. Details of damage and possible casualties were not disclosed. Social media reported heavy explosions in an ammunition depot, and a thick black cloud of smoke could be seen over the city.
Russian troops advance into frontline town of Chasiv Yar
Meanwhile, according to consistent reports, Russian troops are advancing further in the strategically important eastern Ukrainian town of Chasiv Yar. The Seversky-Donets-Donbass canal had long formed a natural line of defense for the Ukrainians there. According to military bloggers, Russian units have crossed the canal in several places and are trying to establish themselves in the town. The US Institute for War Studies (ISW) also wrote in its evening report on Saturday that Russian troops were operating west of the canal. The Ukrainians had already had to abandon the part of the city to the east in July.
The Ukrainian military leadership spoke of fierce fighting in which at least 2,000 Russians were killed or wounded last week. Most recently, the Russian army tried to take control of Chasiv Yar in a pincer attack. The fighting largely died down after further Russian losses. The information could not be independently verified.
Bulwark to protect Ukrainian cities
Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region lies west of the town of Bakhmut, which was captured by Russia in 2023 after months of heavy fighting. Situated on a hill, Chasiv Yar has since been the bulwark that secured important towns in the Ukrainian rear area such as Kostiantynivka and Kramatorsk.
The Ukrainian army has long been on the defensive in the ground fighting in the east and south and has had to retreat in several places in recent weeks. The opening of a second front by Russia near the city of Kharkiv in May forced Ukraine to move troops there. These are now lacking on other parts of the front. Nevertheless, the Russian army has not yet achieved a major breakthrough in its summer offensive.
Russians also advance near Pokrovsk
According to Ukrainian reports, Russian troops are also advancing towards Pokrovsk in the east after heavy fighting. An officer of the Ukrainian armed forces defending there attributed this to a “suicidal tactic” by the enemy, who is not afraid of losses in the attacks. The number of troops deployed is simply overwhelming.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
