The Netherlands has sent a first batch of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, according to the Dutch defense minister.
“For the first time, I can officially announce that the first Dutch F-16s have been delivered to Ukraine,” Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans posted on social media site X on Sunday, without saying how many planes have been shipped to the war-torn nation.
The Dutch government had said it would send 24 F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv. The rest of the jets “will follow in the coming months,” Brekelmans said during a visit to Kharkiv and Kyiv. The Netherlands and Denmark have been leading the coalition to ship the fighter jets and train the Ukrainian pilots.
Ukraine is in its third year of war against Russia’s invasion, heading into a difficult winter with relentless aerial attacks by Kremlin forces destroying half of its energy infrastructure. Russian troops have also made grinding advances in Ukraine’s east, while Ukrainian troops face shortages of weapons and personnel.
On Thursday, former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv and pledged increased military support in his first foreign visit as the new secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The Dutch government also pledged to provide €400 million in drone aid to Kyiv. The Hague will send an undisclosed number of drones for reconnaissance, defense and attack, nearly half of which will be developed in the Netherlands, the defense ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
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