Kremlin Says Russia will Down Ukraine’s F-16 Fighter Jets

Russia pledged today to shoot down any F-16 fighter jets delivered to Ukraine, stressing that these fighters will have no impact on the war. "These planes will appear and gradually their number will decrease; they will be shot down and destroyed," said Spokesman for the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov said. Western media reported earlier that the first "small" batch of American F-16 fighters transferred by NATO countries had arrived in Ukraine. Ukraine has been demanding, for two years, from its Western partners to deliver fighters of this type due to their military importance in confronting Russian advances in its eastern regions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his country needs about 130 F-16s to achieve parity with Russia's air force, but Kyiv's partners have pledged to send fewer than 100 so far over several years, after extensive training of the pilots who will use them. Source: Qatar News Agency