A F-16 fighter jet takes off during a media day of NATO's "Air Defender 23" military exercise at Spangdahlem U.S. Air Base near the German-Belgian border in Spangdahlem, Germany June 14, 2023.
REUTERS/Jana Rodenbusch/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Ukraine will not be able to operate U.S.-built F-16 fighter jets this coming autumn and winter, air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat told Ukrainian television late on Wednesday.
"It's already obvious we won't be able to defend Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets during this autumn and winter," Ihnat told a joint telethon broadcast by Ukrainian channels.
"We had big hopes for this plane, that it will become part of air defence, able to protect us from Russia's missiles and drones terrorism," Ihnat said.
Reporting by Oleksandr Kozhukhar in Kyiv, writing by Maria Tsvetkova in New York, editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons:
Jana Rodenbusch, Yuriy Ihnat, Ihnat, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Joe Biden, Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Maria Tsvetkova, Sandra Maler
Organizations:
Air, U.S . Air Base, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Ukrainian, NATO, Thomson
Locations:
German, Belgian, Spangdahlem, Germany, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia, Moscow, Kyiv, New York