Washington approves sending Danish and Dutch F-16 fighters to Ukraine

Kyiv welcomed the announcement by the United States on Friday granting Denmark and the Netherlands the green light to send American F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine once Ukrainian pilots complete their training on their usage. 

Meanwhile, in Russia, authorities have shut down the Sakharov Center as part of a security campaign against liberal organizations. Additionally, new sanctions have been imposed on critics of Moscow abroad. 

On Friday morning, Russia reported the destruction of Ukrainian drones over Moscow and the Black Sea, where attacks have escalated in recent weeks after Moscow withdrew from the Grain Agreement in mid-July. 

A spokesperson for the US State Department confirmed that Denmark and the Netherlands have been provided with "official guarantees" for the transfer of F-16 fighter aircraft to Ukraine. 

It is expected that training for Ukrainian pilots will begin this August, with officials expressing hope that they will be ready by the beginning of 2024. 

Kyiv consistently demands Western fighter jets to compensate for the significant losses suffered by its air forces, which mostly employ Russian fighters. 

In July, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov affirmed that Moscow would consider the sending of F-16 fighters to Ukraine a "nuclear threat." 

AFP