NATO Commander Gen. Cavoli praises Ukraine's ability to counter Russia

He said this at a hearing in the Senate, which was broadcast on C-Span.

“Ukraine already has several F-16s and trained pilots. More jets are being prepared for transfer,” Cavoli said, but added that he cannot disclose the exact number.

The commander emphasized that the jets intercepted numerous cruise missile threats and were used in offensive strikes, but none of the F-16s came from the U.S.

“They were mostly from Northern Europe, the Netherlands, Denmark,” he added.

Cavoli also emphasized that the transfer of long-range missiles to Ukraine was effective and that “American weapons proved to be excellent.”

“Ukraine has managed to overcome the problem of lack of personnel on the battlefield”

General Cavoli noted that at the current stage of the war, Ukraine has managed to resolve the issue of lack of troops on the battlefield by expanding the categories for mobilization and regrouping its own forces.

Cavoli stated that the Ukrainians have taken strong defensive positions and seem to have resolved some of their manpower issues that were particularly severe last autumn. He noted that they have increased the number of people available for voluntary recruitment and have done a good job of transferring personnel from headquarters to the frontlines.

According to him, the Russians are currently suffering from a shortage of armored vehicles and manpower. Overall, both sides "rely on long-range attacks." The Russians use cruise missiles and guided bombs, while the Ukrainians primarily rely on strike drones, as well as some domestically produced cruise missile systems.

“Ukrainians are in a very strong position now”

Cavoli answered a question about whether it seems inevitable that Ukraine will lose the war against Russia. He denied this, adding that nothing is inevitable in war.

The general stated that Ukrainians are in a very strong position and are improving their ability to generate force and strengthen their positions on a weekly basis.

He emphasized that Ukraine is highly dependent on U.S. military assistance, although there is now a diversification of arms supplies from other countries. He also noted that a reduction in U.S. support, including intelligence sharing, could have a significant impact on Kyiv's capabilities.

• On March 20, it became known that Ukraine had received several new F-16 fighter jets.