Ukraine has recently claimed a series of high-profile victories against Russian forces in the air and in the sea, America's Newsweek magazine reported.
This has fueled social media speculation that Ukraine has received the F-16 fighter jets promised by the West, according to news outlets.
Kyiv has likely "indeed received the first of the promised F-16s," a US source told Newsweek on Wednesday.
Russia has reportedly lost eight jets over the past three weeks, including one around the Black Sea outpost of Snake Island on December 5, Poland's state broadcaster Belsat said.
Ukraine also claimed to have taken down a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber aircraft on December 17, three more Russian Su-34 bombers on December 22, as well as a Russian Su-30 and an Su-34 on Christmas Eve, Newsweek reported.
On December 26, Ukraine struck cruise missiles into Russia's Novocherkassk landing ship in Crimea, prompting speculation the missiles may have been fired from an F-16, Belsat noted.
According to a recent strategy document by the defence ministry of Estonia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium have committed to donating F-16s to Ukraine "before the end of the year [2023]."
Thursday is day 673 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
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Source: Newsweek, Belsat