Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said that the country needs aircraft that can act as an air defense element and, if necessary, hit ground targets. This Ukrainian edition was reported by Liga.net.
“As an air defense element, we need aircraft that can see and defeat an enemy aircraft in the air, shoot down cruise or ballistic missiles, and also attack ground targets when necessary,” he said.
The minister noted that previously the Ukrainian side discussed with the United States the supply of A-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft, but according to Reznikov it was “slow” and did not see long-range targets.
The head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine emphasized that the F-16 fighter jet is a priority for the country’s military.
Last week, the US Congress held hearings on military-technical cooperation with Ukraine. American legislators concluded that transferring F-16 warplanes to an ally is not yet recommended. military columnist “socialbites.ca” Mikhail Khodarenok explains what guided Washington in his decision.