Even so, Air Force Gen. James Hecker, commander of U.S. air forces in Europe and Africa, told reporters in Washington he did not expect the F-16s to be a game-changer for Ukraine.
Ukrainian air forces supporting infantry are using decades-old Soviet-era planes, which are vulnerable to air-to-air missile attacks from Russian fighter jets, Capt.
Danish Defense Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said Friday that the training of Ukrainian pilots is starting this month.
A coalition of 11 Western countries — the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom — pledged in July to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s.
In other developments:— Russian air defenses stopped drone attacks on central Moscow and on the country's ships in the Black Sea, officials said Friday, blaming the attempted strikes on Ukraine.
Persons:
James Hecker, Yevgen, Rakita, Jake Sullivan, State Anthony Blinken, Jakob Ellemann, Jensen, —, Joe Biden's, Abrams, Joseph Schulte
Organizations:
Air Force, NATO, NATO Air Policing, United, Kyiv, 18th Army Aviation Brigade, Associated Press, State, Danish, Sukhoi
Locations:
Netherlands, United States, Denmark, Ukraine, Washington, Europe, Ukrainian, U.S, Africa, Russia, Russian, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, United, Moscow, Hong Kong, Istanbul