Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has suggested that the Ukrainian army will start using F-16 fighter jets next spring. First, the pilots have to complete their training, he told Bild.
The training process should take at least six months, possibly a little longer. The infrastructure also needs to be prepared.
"I would say it could be next spring because we have started training courses for our pilots, engineers and technicians," Reznikov said.
He has high hopes for the fighter jets, as they are expected to be a "serious game changer" in the fight against Russian forces.
According to Reznikov, Russia is set to lose air superiority with the delivery of the F-16.
"We have to put an end to Russia's dominance in the sky, off the battlefield. F-16 jets have become part of our air defence. We can strengthen our capabilities in the sky to protect our airspace, i.e. our cities. This would be a great breakthrough for us. A very big one," he added.