This should be taken as normal – Ukraine's Air Force spokesperson about losses and effectiveness of F-16 jets

Colonel Yurii Ihnat, Head of the Communications Department of the Ukrainian Air Force Command, has confirmed the loss of three F-16 fighters, noting that such losses are inevitable in the context of active hostilities.

Source: Yurii Ihnat in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda

Quote from Yurii Ihnat: "We have seen reports about the loss of aircraft – this should be taken as normal. Unfortunately, there are losses in the war, including F-16s. With such intense fighting, it is clear that there can be losses. We are building up [the capabilities]."

Details: Ihnat noted that the Air Force of Ukraine received F-16 fighters that were already in use. However, even in this condition, these aircraft are much more effective than the Soviet weapons that Ukraine used to employ.

Ihnat stressed that the aircraft's combat effectiveness depends not only on the platform itself but also on the radar it is equipped with and the missiles it can use.

"An aircraft is a platform. Then, it is important to know what is under its wings and what kind of radar it has.

The radar has to see far away; the missile has to fly far away, accurately. At the final stage of flight, it's a matter of firing and not keeping track of it. The active homing head should look for the Russian aircraft itself, etc."

However, the colonel said, Russia currently maintains an advantage in target detection range, and its missiles have a longer range than the F-16. In addition, Russian aviation operates in close cooperation with powerful air defence systems.

Ihnat also noted that before the arrival of the F-16s, the ratio of forces in the air was approximately one to ten, not in favour of Ukraine. He compared the technical difference between Ukrainian and Russian aircraft to the difference between a Makarov pistol and a sniper rifle, noting that despite this, Ukrainian pilots were able to fight back.

Background:

• On 16 May, Ukraine's Air Force lost an F-16 aircraft. A pilot encountered an emergency situation on board while repelling a Russian aerial attack but managed to steer the aircraft away from a populated area and successfully ejected.
• In August 2024, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that an F-16 fighter jet crashed while repelling a Russian missile strike and the pilot was killed. At that time, it was reported that pilot Oleksii Mes had been killed.  
• On 12 April, 26-year-old pilot Pavlo Ivanov was killed while performing a combat mission on an F-16 aircraft.

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