Ukraine Operates F-16 Fighter Jet, President Zelensky: This Is A New Stage

JAKARTA - President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday Ukrainian pilots began capturing F-16 fighter jets for domestic d operations, confirming the long-awaited arrival of US-made fighter jets.

Ukrainian leaders announced the use of the F-16, which Kyiv has long fought for, when he met military pilots at an air base flanked by two jets with two more flying on top.

"The F-16 is in Ukraine. We are proud of our people who control these jets and have started using them for our country," President Zelensky said at a location requested by authorities not to be disclosed by Reuters for security reasons.

The arrival of these jets is a milestone for Ukraine after months of waiting, although it remains unclear how much is available and how big the impact will be on increasing air defenses and on the battlefield.

Russia itself is known to have targeted bases that may host F-16 fighter jets, vowing to shoot them down so they will not have an impact on the war.

Speaking to reporters on the runway of an airfield, President Zelensky said Ukraine still doesn't have enough pilots trained to use the F-16 or enough of the jets themselves.

"The positive thing is we expect additional F-16s, a lot of people are currently training," he said.

Important, he said, Kyiv allies found ways to expand training programs and opportunities for pilots and Ukrainian engineering teams.

Ukraine has previously relied on an aging Soviet-era fleet of warplanes that are losing to weapons by its more advanced Russian fleet and far more numerous.

Russia has used that advantage to carry out regular long-range missile attacks against targets across Ukraine and also to hit Ukraine's front line position with thousands of guided bombs, supporting its slowly advancing east.

"This is a new stage of the development of the Ukrainian armed forces air force," President Zelensky said.

"We are doing a lot for Ukrainian troops to switch to new aviation standards, Western combat flights," he added, citing hundreds of relentless gatherings and diplomacy to get the F-16.

"We often hear 'it's impossible' as an answer but we still realize our ambitions, our defense needs," he said.

It remains unclear what missiles fuel the jets. Missiles with a longer range will allow them to have a larger battlefield impact, military analysts said.

President Zelensky said he also hopes to lobby neighboring allied countries to help intercept Russian missiles launched into Ukraine through conversations on the Ukrainian-NATO Council platform.

"This is another tool, and I want to try it, so NATO countries can talk to Ukraine about a possible small coalition of neighboring countries to shoot down enemy missiles," he said.

"I think this decision may be difficult for our partners, they are always afraid of excessive escalation, but we are against it."