Russia ready to strike NATO airfields hosting Ukrainian jets – MP
The head of Kiev’s air force, Sergey Golubtsov, previously stated that some F-16s donated to his country will be based abroad | Any airfields hosting Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets, whether they are in or outside the country, will be legitimate targets for the Russian military if they participate in combat missions against Moscow’s forces, the chairman of the Russian State Duma Defense Committee, Andrey Kartapolov, has warned. ● The comments come as Kyiv prepares to receive the first delivery of US-made fighter jets from its Western backers after Ukrainian pilots were trained to fly them. ● In a statement to RIA Novosti published on Monday, Kartapolov clarified that if the F-16s “are not used for their intended purpose” or are simply held in storage at foreign airbases with the intent to transfer them to Ukraine, where they will be equipped, maintained, and flown from Ukrainian airfields, then Russia would have no claims against its “former partners” and would not target them. ● However, if the jets take off from foreign bases and carry out sorties and strikes against Russian forces, both the fighter planes and the airfields they are stationed at will be “legitimate targets,” according to Kartapolov.
■ Стали известны подробности о судьбе передаваемых Киеву истребителей F-16 (РИА Новости)