Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway have committed to supplying more than 60 US-made F-16s, fighter jets that Ukraine considers essential to defending itself against Russian attacks, and Ukrainian pilots are currently receiving training.
Ukrainian Air Force Commander Serhiy Holoptsov said: “A certain number of aircraft may be stationed at safe air bases outside Ukraine so that they are not a target” on Ukrainian territory.
The military official also said, in statements to a US-funded radio station, that these F-16s could be used to replace damaged aircraft during repair, as well as to train Ukrainian pilots abroad.
“In this way, we can always have a certain number of aircraft in the operational fleet that corresponds to the number of pilots we have,” he added.
Holubtsov also stressed that F-16s could help protect front lines and border areas from Russian air strikes, which have caused significant damage to troops and residential areas, including Kharkiv.
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that Moscow may consider launching attacks on military facilities in NATO countries if they host warplanes used in Ukraine.
“If they are stationed at air bases outside the Ukrainian border and are used in combat, we will have to see how and where to attack assets used in combat against us,” Putin said in 2023.
In March, the Russian president again warned Ukraine’s Western allies not to make airbases available from which F-16s could launch missions against Kremlin forces.
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