Are Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets too little too late?

US-made aircraft are 'significant improvement' on Soviet-era weaponry but long delay and lack of trained pilots could undo advantage against Russia

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stands in front of the first General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon received by Ukraine as he congratulates Ukrainian military on the Day of Ukrainian Air Force on 4 August 2024
President Zelenskyy unveiled the long-awaited combat aircraft on Sunday, confirming that they had begun operations against Russia
(Image credit: Vitalii Nosach / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

The long-awaited arrival of American F-16 fighter jets in Ukraine marks "a new chapter" in the war against Russia.

So said Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday, confirming for the first time that the aircraft had started operations against Russian forces. "We often heard the answer that it was impossible," the Ukrainian president said during the unveiling ceremony for the country's Air Force Day. "Now it is a reality."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us

Harriet Marsden is a writer for The Week, mostly covering UK and global news and politics. Before joining the site, she was a freelance journalist for seven years, specialising in social affairs, gender equality and culture. She worked for The Guardian, The Times and The Independent, and regularly contributed articles to The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The New Statesman, Tortoise Media and Metro, as well as appearing on BBC Radio London, Times Radio and “Woman’s Hour”. She has a master’s in international journalism from City University, London, and was awarded the "journalist-at-large" fellowship by the Local Trust charity in 2021.