Ukraine may store some of the fighters F-16s, which it will receive from its Western allies, at foreign bases to protect them from Russian strikes, a senior Ukrainian officer said on Monday, as quoted by Fox News.
Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway have committed to providing Ukraine with over 60 US F-16 fighter jets to help repel Russian attacks. Ukrainian pilots are currently being trained to fly these aircraft, with deliveries expected to begin later this year.
Serhiy Golubtsov, head of aviation in the Ukrainian Air Force, said that "a certain number of aircraft will be stored at secure air bases outside Ukraine so that they are not targeted here."
Golubtsov told RFE/RL that these F-16s could be used to replace damaged aircraft during repairs, as well as to train Ukrainian pilots abroad.
"This way we can always have a certain number of aircraft in the operational fleet that matches the number of pilots we have," he noted. "If there are more pilots, there will be more planes in Ukraine."
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow may consider striking facilities in NATO countries if they accept warplanes used in Ukraine.
"In the event that they are deployed to air bases outside Ukrainian borders and used in combat, we will have to see how and where to strike the assets used against us," Putin said last year.
F-16 fighter jets require high runway standards and fortified hangar facilities to protect them from ground attack. It is not clear how many Ukrainian airbases can meet these requirements, and Russia would certainly be quick to target those that can accommodate them.
Golubtsov noted that the F-16s will help protect frontline and border regions from Russian bombs, which have caused significant damage to soldiers and residential areas, including in Kharkiv.