Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that under an optimistic scenario, the first F-16 fighter jets will be in Ukraine in the first half of next year.
The minister said this on the air of Breakfast with 1+1 TV channel.
"As soon as the pilots complete their training (and the infrastructure for this is being prepared in Ukraine), the aircraft will be in Ukraine. That is, the only obstacles to F-16s flying in Ukrainian air are pilot training and infrastructure preparation. I think the optimistic scenario is the first half of next year," Kuleba said.
He added that the partners have made all the decisions in principle and also noted President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's tour of the Netherlands and Denmark, during which promises were made to supply aircraft to Ukraine. The latest achievement of the aviation coalition, according to him, is Belgium's decision to supply the jets.
According to Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin, F-16 fighter jets may arrive in Ukraine early next year. Training of Ukrainian pilots and technicians is currently underway.
Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov also predicted that Ukraine could start using F-16s in the spring of 2024.