Volodymyr Zelensky unveils newly arrived F-16 fighter jets on Ukraine’s Air Forces Day, in pictures

Ukraine has received its first batch of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets. President Volodymyr Zelensky officially commissioned the aircraft at an unveiling ceremony on August 4, Ukraine’s Air Forces Day. The president and Ukrainian media outlets shared footage from the event, which was held at an undisclosed location in Ukraine.

Zelensky described the occasion as a new milestone in the development of Ukraine’s Air Force. “We have turned our ambitions and defensive needs into reality, a reality in our skies,” he said. The president expressed gratitude to partners from the U.S., Denmark, and the Netherlands for the deliveries but noted that the current number of F-16s and trained pilots is still insufficient for the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ needs. According to The Economist, Ukraine has now received 10 F-16s, and by the end of 2024, another 20 of the U.S.-made jets will arrive. The remaining fighters will be delivered in batches throughout 2025. In total, Ukraine is set to receive 79 jets.

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The primary concern for the Ukrainian Armed Forces now is to ensure that the aircraft aren’t lost on the ground. This is a challenging task, as in the past six months alone, Russian forces have damaged or destroyed more than 10 Ukrainian aircraft that were at airfields using drone and ballistic missile strikes. There are two ways to secure the F-16s: protect the airfield with air defense systems (which can be overwhelmed with a massive attack) or constantly move the aircraft from one airfield to another — a strategy Ukraine has previously used to try to keep its aviation fleet safe. However, the latter option isn’t very suitable for F-16s, as they require very specific runway conditions that not every airfield can provide.