Ukraine gets greenlight to use F-16s for strikes inside Russia
Ukraine can deploy F-16 fighter jets obtained from the Netherlands against Russian targets, as stated by the country’s armed forces commander Onno Eichelsheim in an interview with NOS. “We’ve placed no restrictions on the use or range of the F-16s, provided that the laws of war are respected,” he clarified. | Eichelsheim emphasized that this policy extends to other weaponry supplied by the Netherlands—the Ukrainian military is empowered to utilize them on the battlefield “at their discretion,” as long as they comply with international humanitarian law. “We are committed to Ukraine’s victory and are doing everything possible to support them,” he noted. ■ Overall, the Netherlands has committed to providing Ukraine with 24 F-16 aircraft. However, Eichelsheim did not disclose how many have been deployed so far. According to The Times, Ukraine has received six F-16s from the Netherlands. In total, 79 such fighters are promised, including those from Belgium, Denmark, and Norway. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is pushing for an increase to 120-130 fighters to effectively counter Russia in the air.