Reznikov said when F-16s will start to be used in Ukrainian skies

Ukraine may start using F-16 fighter jets in spring 2024. Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

I think next year, in the spring. I mean - already in use. Because today we have permission for training, there are countries that have volunteered to teach, and there are even countries that have agreed to hand over F-16s to us after the completion of training and infrastructure preparation, - Reznikov said.

Oleksiy Reznikov also drew a parallel between the transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine and Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

There is Tolkien's trilogy "The Lord of the Rings". And at one time there was a question why hobbits could not sit on eagles and easily deliver the ring to the mountain of fire? They couldn't really. Because it had to be: a) the political will to provide eagles; b) obtaining approval from the "governments of eagle states"; c) it was necessary to provide training for eagles, prepare an airfield for them, specialists who will serve them, feed them, take care of their nests, d) and all this period heard arguments from those states that have eagles: "And why do you need eagles, if you are already well fending off Sauron," - added the head of the Ministry of Defence.

Note, a number of European countries in the framework of the aviation coalition agreed to hold exercises for our pilots on F-16 fighters. In particular, the United States confirmed that in October the pilots of the AFU will start training on the aircraft at the base of the National Guard in the state of Arizona.

It is also known that the state will receive at least 61 aircraft from Denmark and the Netherlands.