Netherlands Officially Approves Export of 24 F-16s to Ukraine, With First Plane to Arrive Soon

The Netherlands issued permission to export 24 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The first plane is planned to be sent "in the near future." 

This was stated by the Minister of Defense of the Netherlands, Kaisa Ollongren, in a letter to the House of Representatives of the country's parliament.

The letter does not specify the first delivery date and the number of planes sent to Ukraine. Ollongren stated this information would be confidentially shared with the House of Representatives for security purposes.

The delivery of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine will mark a pivotal point in Ukraine’s defense strategy. To date, 4 countries have confirmed the provision of the F-16 aircraft: Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands.