The first batch of United States-made F-16 fighter jets have arrived in Ukraine. While the number of fighter jets supplied is “small”, Kiev and Russia have yet to comment on the alleged delivery of the military equipment.
Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that the delivery has been made, according to sources who told the outlet on condition of anonymity. Kiev has yet to comment on the reported delivery. The origin of the aircraft is also not yet clear. Last year, a group of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) states, including Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Sweden, formed the so-called “F-16 coalition” which sought to outfit Ukraine with the warplanes “needed” to fight Russia. Greece, the US, Bulgaria, and France later joined the coalition.
Netherlands and Denmark pledged to provide Kiev with 24 and 19 aircraft respectively from their own stockpiles, while others committed to training Ukrainian pilots. Norway has also recently stated that it would donate six fighter jets to Kiev, according to a report by RT.
According to sources cited by the mainstream media outlet Bloomberg, a delivery deadline set for the end of this month has been “respected.” Earlier in July, the outgoing Dutch government said all preparations for the delivery of F-16s had been finished and the transfer would take place “soon.”
Russia has previously warned that not only will Moscow destroy and warplanes sent to Ukraine, but arming the regime with these types of aircraft could result in another world war, that could potentially be nuclear in nature.
Putin To U.S.: Russia Will DESTROY F-16s Used By Ukraine
Russia: Arming Ukraine With F-16s Could Start A Nuclear War
A private Russian company had also earlier offered a bounty of 15 million rubles ($170,000) for the destruction of the first F-16 in the conflict.
Obviously, in the proxy war between the West and Russia, it’s likely that this will be seen as a provocation, and Russia will be forced once again to decide to refrain from action or follow through on its threats to put NATO in the crosshairs.
A spokeswoman for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Diana Davityan, declined to comment on the issue when contacted by the news outlet.
Russia has on multiple occasions warned that the ever-increasing level of support that Western states are providing to Kiev will only prolong the conflict and human suffering. Continued deliveries of ever-heavier weapons to Ukraine also make Kiev’s Western backers de facto participants of the conflict, it said. Top officials in Moscow, including President Vladimir Putin, have referred to the Ukraine crisis as a proxy war waged by Washington and its NATO allies against Russia. –RT
If Russia decides to retaliate at any point, the West will certainly engage and a massive regional, and likely world war will result. As we’ve mentioned before one of the only things holding this conflict back is Russia’s restraint and its so far refusal to follow through on threats made against the West.
