Denmark hands over second batch of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine

Denmark has handed Kiev the second batch of F-16 fighter jets. This was announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (term expired May 20) in his Telegram channel on Saturday, December 7.

"The second batch of F-16s for Ukraine from Denmark is already in the country", - stated in the message.

The number of aircraft transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Zelensky did not specify.

Earlier, on September 16, Danish radio, citing Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, reported that Denmark will transfer several more F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of the year.

Prior to that, on August 27, Zelensky first claimed the Ukrainian military was using the F-16s transferred to Kiev - allegedly to repel drone and missile strikes. One of the fighter jets soon crashed, and its pilot was killed.

In the first half of July, Denmark and the Netherlands began transferring F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The arrival of the first planes in the country was reported at the end of the same month. According to The Economist, the Ukrainian army received 10 fighter jets.

Experts have repeatedly noted that the use of F-16s will not change the situation on the battlefield for the Ukrainian troops. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that these fighter jets would be destroyed and would not affect the dynamics of the situation on the front.

Western countries have stepped up military and financial support for Kiev against the background of Russia's special operation to protect Donbass, which was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022, after the situation in the region worsened due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.