Ukrainian pilots will start training on F-16 fighter jets in August or September of this year. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said this in an interview with Radio Free Europe.
According to him, the legal preparation necessary for the direct transfer of the aircraft will be done at the same time. According to Kuleba, the first F-16s flown by Ukrainian pilots will appear in Ukrainian skies in the first quarter of next year.
However, the minister noted that technicians, engineers, and infrastructure also need training. This may affect training schedules, but Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov is "working very actively" on this issue.
"Together, we are doing everything we can to make this process as fast as possible," said Kuleba.
In June, the Danish Ministry of Defense reported that Ukrainians had started to train on F-16 fighter jets.