Russia vows to shoot down Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russian forces were prepared to shoot down Ukraine's first batch of F-16 jets and the weapons will not be a "panacea" for Kyiv's army, one day after officials from Lithuania and the United States confirmed that Ukraine had received the first order of the long-awaited jets.

The arrival is a milestone for Ukraine, which has yet to comment on it publicly. The fighter jets, built by Lockheed Martin, have been on Ukraine's wish list for a long time because of their destructive power and global availability. The fighter jet is equipped with a 20mm cannon and can carry bombs, rockets and missiles.

"F-16s in Ukraine. Another impossible thing turned out to be totally possible," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on X.

Analysts and officials say the F-16s will not alone prove a turning point in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which began in February 2022.

The lengthy process to procure the US-designed aircraft and train Ukrainian pilots to fly them has frustrated Kyiv, Reuters reported.

The number of delivered F-16s appears to be small for now. The Times of London cited a source familiar with the matter who put the figure at just six. That number is expected to grow, but it is far short of what military analysts say Ukraine needs.

Denmark has committed to donate 19 jets in total, while the Netherlands has promised to deliver 24 aircraft. Both countries have been driving forces behind a coalition to supply Ukraine with F-16s. Norway also said it would donate six F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

Serhii Kuzan, chairman of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, a nongovernmental research group, said at least 60 planes would be needed for significant operations as Ukraine attempts to push Russian aviation back from the border.

Training of pilots

The timeline for the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16s has dominated discussions about deliveries and pledges of more than 70 jets.

By the end of the year, Ukraine expects to have at least 20 pilots ready to fly F-16s, said lawmaker Oleksandra Ustinova, who leads Kyiv's parliamentary commission on arms and munitions. She said Ukraine would need nearer to 120 F-16s to boost its air capability significantly.

"It is difficult to solicit more planes when you don't have people to pilot them," she said, adding that at first, Ukraine will have more F-16s than qualified pilots.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a law allowing the government to suspend foreign debt payments until Oct 1, paving the way for a moratorium to be called that would formally mark a sovereign default.

Earlier last month, Ukraine announced a preliminary deal with a committee of its main bondholders to restructure its near $20 billion worth of international debt.

The proposal would see a 37 percent nominal haircut on Ukraine's outstanding international bonds, saving Kyiv $11.4 billion in payments over the next three years — the duration of the country's program with the International Monetary Fund, according to government statements.