First Batch of F-16 Fighter Jets Reportedly Arrives in Ukraine

President Zelensky stood in front of the F-16 fighter jet during a visit to Denmark. (Source: President.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - The first batch of long-awaited F-16 fighter jets has arrived in Ukraine, Lithuania's foreign minister and a U.S. official said on Wednesday.

The Lockheed Martin-made F-16 fighter jets have long been on Ukraine's wish list because of their destructive power and global availability.

Equipped with a 20mm cannon and capable of carrying bombs, rockets, and missiles, the jets will add to Ukraine's air power to counter Russia.

"F-16s in Ukraine. Another impossible thing is possible," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told X, as reported by Reuters on August 1.

Separately, a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the delivery had been completed.

The Ukrainian Air Force did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Denmark has committed to donating a total of 19 jets to Ukraine, while the Netherlands has pledged to send 24 aircraft.

The two countries have been driving forces behind an international coalition to supply Ukraine with F-16s. Norway has also said it will donate six F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the fighter jet's pilots and ground staff have been trained by Ukraine's Western partners for months.

Previously, Ukraine's military had to rely on a relatively small fleet of Soviet-era jets as it struggled to hold off a full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.

Ukrainian officials see the addition of the F-16s as a critical upgrade for its Air Force.

Analysts and officials say the F-16s will not alone prove a turning point in the war, which began with a full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.