Delivery of F-16 fighters to Ukraine from the West will not be able to immediately change the situation on the battlefield, writes newspaper The New York Times.
It is noted that a lack of trained pilots and a limited number of fighters will "limit the impact" about the course of hostilities in the near future.
„Russia has had plenty of time to strengthen its defense infrastructure, especially in frontline areas. The F-16s and their pilots will face stiff resistance from Russian air defenses both on the ground and in the air,” said Hunter Stoll, a military expert at the RAND think tank.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the F-16s promised to Kiev by Western countries have not yet arrived. On July 10, the White House press office published a joint statement by the leaders of Denmark, the Netherlands and the United States regarding plans to provide F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. US President Joe Biden said NATO allies are working to ensure that “Ukrainian pilots will be operating the F-16 this summer”. Zelensky later announced an agreement with Poland, which he said would speed up the delivery of these fighter jets to Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that the delivery of new weapons to Ukraine, including F-16s, will not change the situation on the front, but will lead to a prolongation of the conflict.