F-16 jets will turn the tide of war – Ukrainian Air Force

Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said this on Ukrainian television, Ukrinform reports.

“I would like to argue with all the critics of this jets issue. The planes will change the course of the war and they will change it very seriously," he said.

He noted that "these should not be aircraft with tactical and technical specifications significantly weaker than those of Russian ones," because Ukraine needs modern fighter jets that could gain air superiority over the enemy.

Ihnat remarked that the F-16 aircraft in a certain modification, which the Ukrainian Air Force needs, are capable of attacking ground, surface and aerial targets and protecting the state from missiles and drones.

"I think that such aircraft systems -- and a multi-purpose aircraft is an aircraft system because it solves a number of tasks -- will be able to significantly influence the course of the war. [...] Using such aircraft systems as the F-16, we will be able to push back Russian aircraft and cover our ground troops from the air," he said.

Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said earlier that the fighter jets that Ukraine may soon receive would not change the course of the war. In his opinion, Ukraine needs to focus on ammunition, particularly long-range missiles.

Photo: illustrative, defense.gov