Zelenskyy: Ukraine needs 2.5 times as many F-16s in the air at once

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine needs to increase the number of F-16 fighter jets operating simultaneously to 2.5 times the current level, as the aircraft frequently undergo maintenance.

Source: Zelenskyy during a meeting with journalists on Friday, as reported by European Pravda, citing Interfax-Ukraine

Details: Zelenskyy said he will join next week's meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (also known as the Ramstein format) online.

Quote: "We've talked this through at the multilateral meeting of a group of friends of Ukraine. We discussed how many PAC-2s and PAC-3s the Europeans have. We've asked them to look at giving us a share of those stocks. It's a difficult issue. We're really asking for their help. We're also urgently asking for F-16s. There are limits on how much they can be used because the aircraft aren't new."

Details: Zelenskyy said Ukraine needs two and a half times as many aircraft in the air at once as it currently deploys.

Quote: "So on paper, we have all of this, but they're constantly in for maintenance because the F-16s aren't new. We also need to work with the Americans on this – we're working on it."

Background:

• Belgium plans to supply three F-16 jets to Ukraine this year after coordinating this agreement with France.
• Zelenskyy previously said that around half of Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets spend extended periods in Europe undergoing repairs and maintenance

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