Ukraine Needs 2.5 Times More F-16s in the Sky as Aging Jets Undergo Repairs, Zelenskyy Says

Ukraine needs to deploy two and a half times more fighter jets simultaneously to meet its air defense requirements, but its aging F-16 fleet requires frequent refurbishment, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a conversation with journalists attended by UNITED24 Media on November 13.

According to Zelenskyy, although Ukraine has received F-16 fighter jets from Western partners, their age and maintenance requirements limit how many aircraft can be deployed at any given time.

“As of today, we need two and a half times more aircraft in the sky simultaneously than the number we currently deploy,” Zelenskyy said.

The president explained that the number of available aircraft does not reflect Ukraine’s actual operational capabilities, as some fighters must regularly undergo refurbishment. “So, on paper, we have all these aircraft, but they are constantly undergoing refurbishment because the F-16s are not young anymore,” he stated.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine is working with the United States to address the issue and improve the availability of its fighter aircraft.

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The president also highlighted a significant shortage of ammunition for Ukraine’s F-16 fleet, revealing that Kyiv needs an additional 800,000 rounds to sustain operations for six months. “We are also discussing separately a large quantity of F-16 ammunition that we need – 800,000 rounds. That’s enough for six months,” Zelenskyy said.

According to the president, Denmark has agreed to help resolve the ammunition issue following discussions with Ukrainian officials.

Copenhagen has also committed a €645 million military assistance package that includes 20 mm ammunition for F-16 fighter jets used to intercept Russian jet-powered Shahed drones, alongside approximately €200 million for Ukrainian drone production.

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