Netherlands Confirms Delivery of F-16s to Kiev
The Netherlands has officially announced the arrival of its F-16 fighter planes in Ukraine. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The first F-16 fighter jets donated by the Netherlands have arrived in Ukraine, as confirmed by Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans.
During his visit to Kiev and Kharkov on Sunday, Brekelmans shared new insights regarding his country's military support to Ukraine. As part of the ‘F-16 coalition,’ the Netherlands had committed to supplying 24 US-made aircraft to the Ukrainian Air Force over a year ago, but no definitive timeline was provided.
“For the first time, I can officially announce that the first Dutch F-16s have been delivered to Ukraine,” the minister stated on X.
In addition to the aircraft delivery, Brekelmans revealed that Amsterdam plans to invest €400 million into developing advanced drones for the Ukrainian military.
“This involves all kinds of advanced drones that can be used for reconnaissance, defense and attack. Especially in the air, but also on land and sea,” he remarked in a statement posted on the Defense Ministry's website on Sunday.
He emphasized the critical role of drones in modern warfare and noted the rapid pace of drone system development. "We don't have the luxury of taking a long time; it’s about making speed. Procure prototypes, test them quickly and scale up production quickly,” he said.
Approximately half of the allocated funds will be spent in the Netherlands, while the remaining amount will be distributed between Ukraine and other countries, Brekelmans informed Reuters during his visit.
Ukrainian officials have been advocating for F-16s to enhance their aerial capabilities and counter Russian air raids. There have been concerns regarding the speed of pilot training in the US, and Ukraine lost its first F-16 during a combat mission in August.
Since 2022, the Netherlands has provided over €3.76 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. Earlier this year, Amsterdam announced plans to establish a Patriot air defense missile system for Ukraine, but Brekelmans acknowledged challenges in sourcing necessary spare parts from other nations.
Moscow has reiterated that no amount of foreign assistance will deter its forces in Ukraine and has cautioned that such support could exacerbate the risk of a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
During his visit to Kiev and Kharkov on Sunday, Brekelmans shared new insights regarding his country's military support to Ukraine. As part of the ‘F-16 coalition,’ the Netherlands had committed to supplying 24 US-made aircraft to the Ukrainian Air Force over a year ago, but no definitive timeline was provided.
“For the first time, I can officially announce that the first Dutch F-16s have been delivered to Ukraine,” the minister stated on X.
In addition to the aircraft delivery, Brekelmans revealed that Amsterdam plans to invest €400 million into developing advanced drones for the Ukrainian military.
“This involves all kinds of advanced drones that can be used for reconnaissance, defense and attack. Especially in the air, but also on land and sea,” he remarked in a statement posted on the Defense Ministry's website on Sunday.
He emphasized the critical role of drones in modern warfare and noted the rapid pace of drone system development. "We don't have the luxury of taking a long time; it’s about making speed. Procure prototypes, test them quickly and scale up production quickly,” he said.
Approximately half of the allocated funds will be spent in the Netherlands, while the remaining amount will be distributed between Ukraine and other countries, Brekelmans informed Reuters during his visit.
Ukrainian officials have been advocating for F-16s to enhance their aerial capabilities and counter Russian air raids. There have been concerns regarding the speed of pilot training in the US, and Ukraine lost its first F-16 during a combat mission in August.
Since 2022, the Netherlands has provided over €3.76 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. Earlier this year, Amsterdam announced plans to establish a Patriot air defense missile system for Ukraine, but Brekelmans acknowledged challenges in sourcing necessary spare parts from other nations.
Moscow has reiterated that no amount of foreign assistance will deter its forces in Ukraine and has cautioned that such support could exacerbate the risk of a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
