Ukraine requires 60 F-16s by year's end, says aviation expert

While some claim the fighters will arrive in a few weeks, others believe they won't be available until the end of the year. Romanenko shared his opinion on Espreso TV.

"The Washington Post says the F-16s will arrive in a few weeks, while our ambassador to America says they will come by the end of this year. The question is: who should we believe more? Discussing the timing is pointless; they were supposed to arrive at the end of last year. Everything else is irrelevant. They say if the F-16s had arrived a year ago, they would have been more effective - who would have thought! We need to understand the objective circumstances of this war and listen to the assessments of our professionals on the battlefield. This will improve effectiveness. However, it's clear that we are preparing to receive and use these aircraft, which is too late because Russian forces have been preparing for this for a year," emphasized the lieutenant general.

Romanenko also explained that the next open question, after the delivery date of the F-16s, is their number.

"Twenty pilots are ready. We can assume that 20 pilots need 40 airplanes, and we have them. Sixty airplanes are available, and the Europeans are ready to supply 60, but only six will come in. Why only six? It’s like Mr. Sullivan's algorithm - you can announce three or one, and it will be useful. We need to adapt, learn how to use them, hide them, and arm them, and we need to start doing it now. The goal isn’t to have 20-24 airplanes by the end of the year but to have 60. Our ambassador needs to achieve this, even if it means camping out near the Pentagon or the White House and assisting Biden, Kamala Harris, or Trump. We need to stop Russia's advance now,” summarized the founder of the Let's Close the Skies of Ukraine Charitable Foundation.

• The first 50 Ukrainian specialists to service the F-16s have already completed their training in Denmark. Most of them have already returned to Ukraine.

• On July 2, Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren said that 24 Dutch F-16 fighters would soon be delivered to Ukraine. The relevant permit has already been issued.