Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets were deployed to shoot down a barrage of Russia's latest missiles and drones, scoring its first victory over Russia, officials said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the fighter jets, which arrived earlier this month, The damage was caused by a massive attack on Monday in which more than 200 missiles and drones were fired from Russia. The Kyiv Independent reported..
“[The F-16s had] “This is a very good result,” Zelenskiy told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday. “I'd like to thank our partners for providing us with the F-16s.”
“Of course, this is not enough,” he added. “There are not many planes and pilots still need training.”
Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway have committed to providing Ukraine with more than 80 F-16 fighter jets after getting the green light from the Biden-Harris administration, with the first batch of aircraft and trained pilots due to arrive about three weeks before Monday's strikes.
The Ukrainian Air Force said its fighter jets and Kiev's air defense systems were able to shoot down 102 missiles and 99 drones on Monday, but the claim could not be independently verified.
Officials said at least four people were killed in the attack, which hit half of Ukraine, and that the Russian attack also hit a major power plant, causing power outages across the country.
The Kremlin said the attack was specifically aimed at Kiev's energy infrastructure and airfields, the latter of which are protected by newly installed rocket interceptor systems to provide safety for F-16 fighter jets.
President Zelensky and military commander Oleksandr Shirsky said the acquisition of more F-16 fighter jets and pilots would enable Kiev to better defend itself against Russian air attacks.
Despite concerns that Ukrainian pilots may not have been adequately equipped to handle the powerful jets, the F-16s' maiden mission bodes well for the plane's defensive capabilities.
The pilots underwent just one year of training at the European F-16 Training Centre in the Netherlands, as opposed to the four years that Danish pilots typically spend in training.
According to the Wall Street Journal, other NATO countries, including the United States, have voluntarily allowed Ukrainian pilots to train on F-16s in their countries.
Ukrainian officials have also suggested using fighter jets to attack Russia directly after President Zelenskiy called on the United States and its Western allies to lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons against Moscow.
Despite the blow Ukraine suffered on Monday, there is little evidence that Western countries will lift restrictions on arms supplies to Ukraine.
