Aviation coalition is growing, Ukrainian pilot F-16 training is ongoing – Ukrainian official

He shared the information on the United News telethon.

"The process is ongoing. The geography of the countries joining the "aviation coalition" is quite large, it is increasing, and the United States, which has also joined this process and will train pilots, has already decided on this," Ihnat said.

The military said that the countries participating in the training of Ukrainian pilots will provide both language training and actual training on the aircraft.

"There are a lot of questions about where, in which country, how many pilots, how many aircraft we get. Unfortunately, we cannot answer these questions in such detail for the media right now. Therefore, we apologize for this and ask for your understanding, because not every country wants to detail the process that is taking place on its territory," the spokesman emphasized.

According to Ihnat, the process has moved very seriously.

"It has never been stale, but it has gained momentum, so to speak. The pilots are learning and undergoing training. I think there will be further statements about this from the leaders of the countries," Ihnat added.

F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine

On May 21, US President Joe Biden approved the training of Ukrainians on F-16s. Volodymyr Zelenskyy assured that Ukraine would not use these aircraft to strike at Russian territory. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry adviser Yuriy Sak said that Ukraine hopes to receive the first modern American F-16 fighter jets in the fall of 2023.

In July, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the first F-16 fighter jets are likely to fly in Ukraine's skies by the end of March 2024.

On August 17, the US approved the delivery of F-16 multi-role fighter jets to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Denmark said it would supply Ukraine with 19 aircraft, provided they are not used on Russian territory. The first group of pilots has already begun training on F-16s in Denmark.

The Netherlands will provide Ukraine with 42 fighter jets. Norway will also provide Ukraine with F-16s, but their number is still unknown.

Belgium will not provide Ukraine with F-16 multi-role fighter jets, said Lieutenant Frédéric Goetynck on September 5, because they are outdated and in poor condition. Such aircraft are dangerous to operate. 

Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder said on September 15 that six Ukrainian instructors and four mission planners will be trained on F-16s in Belgium to later train Ukrainian pilots.