Russia-Ukraine war: Ukrainian air commander says F-16 jets more effective than Soviet-era planes

As the war in Ukraine continues, Kyiv is now looking to secure US-made F-16 fighter jets following its success in acquiring battle tanks. A top Ukrainian air commander said the F-16 jets are more effective than Soviet-era fighter planes.

On Thursday, Ukrainian Air Force senior commander Serhiy Holubtsov reiterated the importance of Kyiv securing F-16 jets. Holubtsov said that while allies were able to provide Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter aircraft, hailing such donation as “an important step,” the fighter planes did not fully meet the needs of Ukrainian forces. Poland and Slovakia recently provided MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine as Kyiv gears up for an upcoming offensive.

“The F-16 is a fighter jet that has become a multirole aircraft which can fulfill the entire spectrum of airborne attacks. The MiG-29 unfortunately, is from the last century,” said Holubtsov on national television, noting that the MiG-29 jets given by the country’s allies were better than nothing.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Poland on Wednesday, saying that he believed Warsaw would take a leading role in forming a “coalition” of Western countries that could provide Ukraine with warplanes. Poland helped shore up support for battle tanks. Warsaw also pledged 10 additional MiG-29 planes on top of the four existing jets provided to Kyiv.

Any coalition of F-16 donors would now rely on the backing of the United States. Washington has so far ruled out sending F-16 jets to Kyiv for now, and US officials have estimated the time needed for training pilots and delivery at 18 months. While Holubtsov said that it was possible that foreign pilots could fly Ukrainian jets, the top commander said they would only be useful when flying aircraft that they have already been trained to use.

Meanwhile, during a visit to China, French President Emmanuel Macron said he is hoping Chinese President Xi Jinping could “bring Russia to its senses” over Ukraine. Macron is visiting Beijing with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, where he made clear that he is looking to get China not to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

“I know I can count on you to bring Russia to its senses and everyone to the negotiating table,” said Macron during a bilateral meeting with Xi.