The Ukrainian leader emphasised that this is the beginning of a new stage in the development of the air force of his country's army.
"We have done a lot to ensure that the Ukrainian Air Force steps up to a new standard in aviation, to match the Western combat aviation standards. Since the beginning of our defensive war, we have talked with our partners about the need to close the Ukrainian sky to Russian missiles and Russian aircraft. We have held hundreds of meetings and negotiations to strengthen the capabilities of our air force."
- the Ukrainian President said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also recalled that Kyiv often heard "it is impossible" in response to requests for combat aircraft that would help protect his country from the unlawful Russian attack - which has been ongoing since 2014, and developed toa a full scale since February 2022.
"Despite this - we have implemented the plan to acquire them. That was our ambition and that was our need. Now - it is a reality in our skies. The F-16s are in Ukraine!"
- the Ukrainian leader concluded.
On the last day of July, the first 10 of 79 multi-role F-16 combat aircraft intended for Ukraine arrived in the country. By the end of 2024, Ukraine should receive at least 20 of them in total, with the rest following in 2025.
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Source: IAR