Belgium wants to provide additional military support to Ukraine. This is what the federal government decided on Friday evening. Delivery of Belgian F-16s to the Ukrainian Air Force may become possible this year, Belga.
When Ukrainian President Zelensky unexpectedly visited Brussels at the end of 2023, it was essentially already decided that the Belgian F16s would be delivered to the country. On Friday, this decision was officially ratified by the federal government of Belgium. The country will also supply additional munitions to Ukraine, which has seen Russia advance in the absence of Western arms supplies.
In October, the government announced that such a delivery could not happen until 2025 at the earliest, so it will be up to the next government to make that decision. But Belgium now wants the planes to be on the front lines before the end of this year.
The announcement is another piece of good news for Ukraine, where the situation has become uncertain. Ukrainian soldiers are almost out of ammunition and there is a shortage of troops. The Russians seem to be gaining the upper hand.
On Friday, two hospitals were evacuated in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, including a children's hospital, due to fears of Russian attacks. Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded at least 1,682 attacks on health facilities in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Belgium is also helping train Ukrainian F-16 maintenance technicians. This training is currently in full swing at one of Sabena Engineering's facilities, the exact location of which is unknown for security reasons.
We remind you that the USA announced the release of the long-awaited military aid to Ukraine.