Deputy Head of the Office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Igor Zhovkva, has announced that the training of Ukrainian pilots on American F-16 jets in Romania will begin by the end of 2023. This was reported by Ukrinform. The center will be responsible for training pilots from NATO countries, along with Ukrainian pilots.
Prior to this, the Russian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Alexander Shulgin, stated that The Hague ignores the consequences of supplying American F-16 jets to Kyiv for ordinary Ukrainians and emphasized that they will lead to the prolongation of the Ukrainian conflict. According to the diplomat, the Russian side believes that the transfer of aircraft will allow the Netherlands to “get rid of outdated F-16s at the expense of international sources, including the European Peace Fund.” He noted that due to the duration of the training of Ukrainian pilots in the use of F-16 jets, their transfer to Ukraine is possible in the second half of 2024.
The diplomat’s statement serves as a comment on the promise to send 12-18 F-16 jets to the training center for Ukrainian pilots in Romania. Earlier, the Netherlands and Denmark confirmed that the United States approved the shipment of F-16 jets to Ukraine.
