Kyiv sounds defeatist, says 'won't be able' to use F-16 fighter jets this year
F-16 fighter jet
Sounding rather defeated,Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat has conceded that his country will not be able to operate the F-16fighter jets to defend itself from the Russian onslaught, at least this year.
Speaking on Wednesday night (August 16),Ihnat said his country had "big hopes" for the deployment of F-16s but it may not come to fruition.
“It’s already obvious we won’t be able to defend Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets during this autumn and winter,"Ihnat told Ukrainian channels.
“We had big hopes for this plane, that it will become part of air defence, able to protect us from Russia’s missiles and drones terrorism,” he added.
Earlier this year,Ihnat had asserted that Kyiv needed "F-16s to become an integral part of its air defence".
"These fighters can engage aerial targets from both high and low altitudes. By utilising F-16s, our ground troops will be able to swiftly liberate occupied Ukrainian territories by targeting enemy command posts, military groups and logistics supply chains," he said.
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WATCH |Russia-Ukraine War: Ukraine focuses on upping its air defence systems
Kyiv pressing for the jets
Kyiv has repeatedly called upon the Western bloc to supply the F-16 jets in its defence against the superior Russian jets. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been at the forefront of it as he openly discussed the proposition during his brief appearance at theG7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, earlier this year.
After much back-and-forth, US President Joe Biden endorsed a training programme forUkrainian pilots on F-16s. However, up until now, no timing on the supply of the war planes has been given.
Even after announcing the training module, Biden said he had assurances from Zelensky that the jets will not be used in Russian territory.
"I have a flat assurance from Zelensky that they will not use it to go on and move onto Russian geographic territory, but wherever Russian troops are within Ukraine and the area, they would be able to do that," Biden told reporters at the time.
While Kyiv presses for the jets, Moscow has also repeatedly said that supplying the F-16s would carry "colossal risks".
“We see that Western countries are still adhering to the escalation scenario. It involves colossal risks for themselves," said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko.
ALSO READ | Russia says West's supply of F-16 jets to Ukraine would carry ‘colossal risks’
“In any case, this will be taken into account in all our plans, and we have all the necessary means to achieve the goals we have set.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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