Politico: Kyiv wants to receive up to 50 F-16 fighters from West

Ukraine hopes to receive up to 50 F-16 fighter jets from Western allies. The issue of deliveries can be discussed at the G7 and NATO summits, which will be respectively held in Japan and Lithuania, said Yuriy Sak, an adviser to the Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov, reported from Politico newspaper.

Ukraine wants between 40 to 50 F-16s in total, Sak added, forming three or four squadrons to defend its skies from Russian bombardments. Kyiv is telling Western leaders the need for modern jets has become more acute since the Russian Air Force began widespread use of guided glide bombs in March, reaching targets at greater distances. Ukraine currently has "nothing to stop” the Russian aircraft carrying them, Sak said.

He added that Ukraine’s Zelenskyy wants combat jets at the top of the agenda at the G7 summit in Hiroshima and then again at the annual NATO summit in Lithuania in July. He said the Ukrainian president received "assurances” from Western leaders during his latest European tour that they will discuss the issue in the days ahead.

Although Britain, Italy, France and Germany do not have F-16s to offer, Sak said "they have an important voice in the international coalition” and Ukraine would like them to "encourage” allies such as the US and Türkiye.
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