Denmark has delivered a second batch of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on his Telegram channel. He confirmed that the Western aircraft have already arrived in Ukraine but did not disclose the number of planes received.
"If all partners demonstrated the same determination, Russian terror would have ended long ago," Zelenskyy noted.
In November, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced that Copenhagen had already transferred six F-16s to Ukraine and planned to deliver 13 more. Denmark is part of a coalition of countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, and Norway, which collectively pledged 79 F-16s to Ukraine. However, Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine needs between 120 and 130 fighter jets to counter Russian air power effectively.
The Netherlands has previously granted approval for the use of its supplied F-16s in strikes on Russian territory.
By late October, UK Deputy Defense Minister Luke Pollard reported that Britain had trained 200 Ukrainian pilots to operate F-16s. The first group of pilots completed basic training in December 2023, with six experienced pilots ready for deployment and ten trainees continuing their programs.
In the fall of 2024, the U.S. also began training young Ukrainian pilots for F-16 missions. These sessions, led by American instructors, are being conducted in the UK and France. Given the complexity of pilot training, a fully operational F-16 squadron—comprising 20 jets and 40 pilots—is not expected to be combat-ready before the spring or summer of 2025.
