Ukrainian Pilots to Begin F-16 Training in August - Defense Minister

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Monday that Ukrainian pilots would begin training on US-made F-16 fighter jets in August.

In an interview with US media, Reznikov said that the training would last at least six months and would likely take place in Denmark and the Netherlands, as well as the United Kingdom or Poland. The minister added that by the spring of 2024, pilots would be able to fly F-16s in the skies above Ukraine.

Reznikov said that the training could be divided between countries, but that the final plans are still being finalized.

Last Friday, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots would begin in the coming weeks, adding that the United States was currently working with its European allies to determine the location and dates of the training.

F-16 training marks another step up the escalation ladder of NATO's proxy war with Russia in Ukraine. Earlier this month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that the delivery of F-16 fighters to Ukraine would lead to a further escalation of the Ukraine conflict because the jets have a modification that makes them nuclear-capable.

Both Russian and foreign observers have questioned the utility of deploying F-16 fighters to Ukraine, citing the lengthy training time required to create ace pilots, and pointing to Russian air superiority and its vast, dense network of air defenses, which were designed specifically to target large combat aircraft like fighter jets.