The existing number of F-16 aircraft is not sufficient for Ukraine's air security – Zelenskyy

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the F-16 fighter jets available in Ukraine do not allow for guaranteeing safety in Ukrainian skies. He made this announcement on August 22 during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, which took place in Kyiv, Radio Liberty reports.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine is grateful to its partners for the beginning of the formation of the air fleet, but the number of aircraft that have already been transferred or are planned for transfer is insufficient.

"I will use one example to explain how difficult it is – when we talk to you about airplanes, F-16s. We are very grateful to all partners for coordination and for the fact that we have such an air fleet or the beginning of it. We do not have all the airplanes that we need. These airplanes – they will not be enough to guarantee us safety in the sky," the President of Ukraine stated.

Zelenskyy did not specify how many additional aircraft are needed. He stressed that partner countries support the expansion of Ukraine's air fleet, but, according to the president, security guarantees depend not only on the political will of the allies, but also on their technical capabilities and financing.

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian authorities have been asking Western countries to provide F-16 fighters, but the first aircraft arrived in Ukraine only in early August 2024.

It is currently known that Ukraine has received or expects to receive F-16 fighters from several NATO countries. In particular, the Netherlands has already transferred all 24 promised F-16 fighters and 7 spare jet engines to Ukraine.

Denmark has also promised to deliver 19 F-16s. 12 of them have already been delivered, and the rest should be delivered by the end of this year. In addition, Norway is to provide our country with 14 F-16 aircraft by the end of 2025, as well as Belgium, which plans to deliver 30 of these aircraft to Ukraine by 2028, the first of which should arrive in 2025.