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Belgium will deliver ten F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine this year, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said at a press conference attended by the Kyiv Independent on Oct. 15.
“Ukraine urgently needs operational fighter jets and we can make our contribution,” De Wever said following a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the European Council meeting in Brussels.
"We will supply 10 this year. We have fallen a little behind because of delays with the F-35s, but those are now starting to arrive, which will enable us to send F-16s to Ukraine," the prime minister said. As Belgium is modernizing its air force with U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets, the country said it would transfer some of its F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
On Sept. 29, Zelensky said that Belgium will provide Ukraine with three U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets by the end of the year.
De Wever said that Ukraine urgently needed the fighter jets, as they were one of the weapons capable of defending Ukraine from "Russian jet-powered drones."
The Geran-5 jet-powered drone is Russia's latest attempt to force Ukraine to capitulate. Small, and with a tubular fuselage reminiscent of a missile rather than a drone, the Geran-5 flies higher, faster, and is significantly more difficult to shoot down. Russia's jet drones target civilian infrastructure such as supermarkets, schools, shopping malls, telecommunications infrastructure, data centers, gas stations, and medical facilities.
Zelensky and De Wever also discussed the possibility of supplying Ukraine with ammunition for the F-16s.
F-16s are used in both offensive and defensive operations. The aircraft have been used for intercepting Russian missiles and drones during aerial strikes against Ukraine. They can also be deployed to launch missiles at Russian positions along the front line.