Romania confirms it will train Ukrainian pilots on F-16

President Iohannis made the announcement in a speech during the celebrations on the occasion of the Romanian Navy Day.

According to him, the training center will train not only Ukrainian pilots but also pilots from NATO member states.

"We will participate in the training of the Ukrainian military within the framework of the European Union's military assistance mission and will host the future regional training center for F-16 pilots, which will serve both Romanian and Ukrainian pilots, as well as pilots from NATO member states," he said. 

The president emphasized that Romania will continue to provide the necessary support to Ukraine "in its struggle for peace and freedom." In particular, the country will coordinate efforts within the EU to overcome the consequences of the Russian invasion and advocate for continued assistance to Ukraine.

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 Luly, 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 Sunday, July 16, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the US would not postpone training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, and Biden allowed European countries to start training.

On July 22, Sullivan also said that Ukrainian pilots would begin training on F-16s in the next few weeks.

On August 11, media reported that the first group of Ukrainian pilots would complete training on F-16 fighter jets no earlier than next summer. The start of combat training will be preceded by 4-month language courses.

Subsequently, Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi met with the Chief of Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces in Ukraine. Among the topics of discussion was pilot training on F-16 fighter jets.

On August 12, the White House stated that the US may join the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets on its territory if "training capacity in Europe is reached."

The spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force Command, Yuriy Ihnat, said that work on the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine is underway every day: the negotiation process is complex, with all countries in the "air coalition" making a collective decision.