F-16 training program for Ukrainian pilots may be shortened: US praises defenders' skills 

Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Brigadier General Serhiy Holubtsov, Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, shared the information on the United News national telethon.

"We believed that our pilots would show their level, and it really happened. Two pilots successfully passed the test in the US. Their skills are highly assessed and at the end of the report it is stated that the retraining program for Ukrainian pilots to the F-16 aircraft can be significantly reduced compared to standard pilot training programs," he said.

• Earlier, Politico reported that US senators were demanding that Ukraine receive F-16 fighter jets. In their appeal, the officials noted that the war with Russia is now "at a critical stage" and that the fighter jets could be an advantage for Kyiv.

• Two pilots from Ukraine arrived to the US military base, where their flying skills were evaluated on simulators, including F-16s.

• Brigadier General Serhiy Holubtsov of the Ukrainian Air Force noted that Ukrainian pilots can learn to fly Western fighters in less than six months. Ukraine needs aircraft with characteristics similar to the F-16.