Ukraine’s armed forces are anticipated to start receiving the primary of dozens of F-16 fighter jets inside weeks. In whole over 60 are anticipated to reach from Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands – at a second Ukrainian pilots are nonetheless present process prolonged and extremely technical coaching packages within the Europe and the USA.
However decision-makers in Brussels and Kiev already worry that they are going to make for extremely enticing targets for Russian long-range and aerial strikes earlier than they ever see aerial fight in Ukraine’s skies.
“Ukraine could hold among the F-16 fighter jets it’s set to obtain from its Western allies at international bases to guard them from Russian strikes,” a senior Ukrainian navy officer was cited within the Associated Press as saying Monday. Doubtless the jets will probably be “hidden” hosted at bases in Romania and Poland, that are each NATO international locations.
Serhii Holubtsov, who’s head of aviation for Ukraine’s air pressure, confirmed that “a sure variety of plane will probably be saved at safe air bases exterior of Ukraine in order that they aren’t focused right here.”
He described that warplanes stored exterior of Ukraine can be utilized for additional coaching of Ukrainian pilots, and will be held in reserve in cases the place jets actively engaged in fight should be grounded for repairs.
“This manner, we will all the time have a sure variety of plane within the operational fleet that corresponds to the variety of pilots we’ve got,” he stated. “If there are extra pilots, there will probably be extra plane in Ukraine.”
However we’d ask: what is the level? Zelensky has for the reason that begin of the struggle been begging the West to “shut the skies”. The F-16s have been pledged towards that finish (as a ‘compromise’ in need of the West straight establishing a NFZ), however they have not even arrived but and Kiev is primarily going to cover lots of the costly plane from the beginning.
It was as soon as thought that US-made fighter jets may very well be used for Ukrainian forces to go on the offensive in opposition to entrenched Russian entrance strains, however that does not appear to be it should the case.
Stationing the transferred warplanes at airfields exterior Ukraine additionally will increase the probabilities of Moscow stumbling right into a direct taking pictures struggle with NATO. Kremlin officers, together with President Putin himself, have lengthy warned Russia will strike airbases from which assaults in opposition to Russian forces are launched, even when exterior of Ukraine’s borders.
Final yr Putin started warning of Western plane, “If they’re stationed at air bases exterior the Ukrainian borders and utilized in fight, we must see how and the place to strike the belongings utilized in fight in opposition to us.”
NEW: Ukraine will station F-16 fighter jets to combat Russia at ‘international’ airbases in NATO territories, together with Poland and Romania.
This report got here from the Ukraine Radio Liberty quoting Basic Serhiy Holubtsov, Commander of the Ukrainian Air Power. pic.twitter.com/7zsWvzgR4y
— The Patriot Oasis™ (@ThePatriotOasis) June 10, 2024
He underscored that this “poses a severe hazard of NATO being additional drawn into the battle” – and has additionally highlighted that the F-16s are able to carrying tactical nukes. Thus, he stated on the time, each the planes and international host bases themselves of necessity change into a “official goal”.
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