Netherlands Sends Final Dispatch of F-16 Warplanes to Ukraine

May 28 ------ The Dutch Ministry of Defense confirmed that the final batch of six F-16 fighters promised to Kyiv has left the Netherlands on its way to Ukraine. The Netherlands has been a key ally of Ukraine and an early advocate for Ukraine to receive fighter jets from the West. In May 2023, former US President Joe Biden agreed to allow the Netherlands and other European countries to begin training Ukrainian pilots and to transfer F-16s to Ukraine.

The Netherlands initially pledged 18 F-16 fighters to Ukraine in 2023 under then-Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, but later increased their pledge to 24. Rutte was elected the Secretary-General of NATO in October 2024. The F-16 has been critical for the Ukrainian Air Force to defend against drone and cruise missile attacks.

“It is a nostalgic moment, because the F-16s were so central to our air force for decades,” the Dutch Minister of Defense Ruben Brekelmans said in a statement on the Ministry’s Website on Monday. “But now that we are saying goodbye after the transition to F-35s, I could not have thought of a better destination than Ukraine. Because of the daily Russian air strikes, the F-16s are of vital importance to Ukraine. It enables them to keep Russian aggression at bay for us too.” “They have already saved lives,” the minister said. “The F-16s have a better overview of the battlefield and a higher chance of survival than the outdated Soviet aircraft that the Ukrainian Air Force flew.”

The F-16 is particularly useful for Ukraine in bringing down cruise missiles, a major concern for Ukraine as it faces record levels of Russian missile and drone attacks.

Source: kyivpost.com