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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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Ukraine will base some of its Western-donated F-16 fighter jet fleet outside of the country to avoid Russian strikes on the advanced aircraft, a senior Ukrainian commander has said.
"A certain number of aircraft will be stored at secure air bases outside of Ukraine so that they are not targeted here," Serhiy Golubtsov, the head of aviation for Ukraine's air force command, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Four countries—Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium—have committed to providing tens of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine to boost its aging and depleted fleet, up against superior and more numerous Russian aircraft.
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Kyiv had long requested the Lockheed Martin-made jets, although when exactly the aircraft would arrive and be operational has never been clear. They are expected in the next few weeks, although delays and vagueness have plagued the timetables laid out by donating countries.
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Ukrainian pilots have been undergoing training in several NATO countries while Kyiv puts in place the necessary infrastructure to operate the jets.
"We have a certain number of prepared airfields and we know the number of aircraft that will enter this year," Golubtsov said.
Some of the donated jets will "remain in the centers where our pilots and aviation personnel are trained," Golubtsov said. "These will be Ukrainian aircraft that will be used to train our own pilots."
Some of the aircraft based outside of Ukraine will be used to swap in for jets undergoing repairs or maintenance, ensuring Kyiv has a steady number of operational aircraft at all times, the aviation chief added.
"Keeping a reserve and training fleet outside Ukraine is exactly the right and reasonable approach," Greg Bagwell, a former senior commander with Britain's Royal Air Force, said in a post to X.
Golubtsov's remarks do not indicate that Ukrainian operations against Russia would be launched from NATO territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in late March that Western airbases hosting F-16s that are carrying out operations against Russia would be a "legitimate target."
Once pitted against Russia's air force, Ukrainian-piloted F-16s are likely to quickly become an attractive target for Moscow.
When the jets arrive, they will be an "absolute magnet for Russian air defenses and Russian aircraft," Frank Ledwidge, senior lecturer in Law and War Studies at Portsmouth University in the U.K. and a former British military intelligence officer, previously told Newsweek.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in May that Kyiv needs between 120 and 130 F-16s to combat Russia's air force. Kyiv's NATO backers have pledged significantly fewer jets than this number.
But Ukraine is hoping for further promises of fighter jets as F-16s are phased out in favor of newer aircraft like the F-35.
"There are many more of these aircraft in the world," Golubtsov said.
Update 06/10/24, 5:45 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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