First F-16s Arrive in Ukraine in Boost to Zelensky's Forces: Report

Ukraine received its first delivery of F-16 fighter jets this week in a boost to President Volodymyr Zelensky's forces in its ongoing war with Russia, according to a new report.

On Wednesday, Bloomberg first reported that Ukraine received a delivery of F-16 fighter jets, citing anonymous sources with knowledge of the situation. Bloomberg also reported that it is currently unclear if Ukrainian pilots will be able to immediately use the planes as war with Russia rages on.

Newsweek reached out to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry via email for comment.

Zelensky and other Kyiv officials had long sought F-16s to bolster their defenses in the war launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2022. In May 2023, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that President Joe Biden "informed his G7 counterparts" that the U.S. would begin allowing allies to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, and several countries have since committed to providing the aircraft to Ukraine.

While speaking at a press conference after the G7 Summit last year, Biden said he reached his decision to allow U.S. allies to supply Ukraine with F-16s after he received an assurance from Zelensky that the fighter jets would not be used to launch attacks on targets in Russia.

"I have a flat assurance from Zelensky that they will not, they will not use it to go on and move into Russian geographic territory," Biden said.

This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.