ISW: To use the F-16, Ukraine must destroy Russian air defence

ISW: To use the F-16, Ukraine must destroy Russian air defence

The Ukrainian Armed Forces need many more F-16 fighters to expand and strengthen their air defence system.

This is stated in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

The report recalled that on August 4, official Kyiv announced that Ukraine had received the first batch of F-16 fighters.

However, the report says, the amount received is not enough to achieve a tangible result in protecting the country from air attacks or effectively participating in combat missions.

Analysts say Ukraine will need many more F-16s to integrate the aircraft and expand its air defence umbrella.

“In addition, to make F-16s safer to use and eliminate the risk of them being hit by the enemy, the Air Force should also routinely destroy air defence systems behind Russian lines and temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories with Western-provided long-range weapons,” the ISW report said.