After Russian missile attack, Ukraine's FM Kuleba reiterates need for F-16s
After another large-scale missile and drone attack by Russia, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for providing Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets.
The head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry wrote this on Twitter.
According to the chief diplomat of Ukraine, the Russian Federation will not stop until it is stopped.
"The international community should focus on ensuring a just and durable peace: arm Ukraine, in particular with F-16s to close the sky, and implementing Ukraine's Peace Formula," noted the head of the foreign policy department.
Russia unleashed another salvo of missiles on Ukraine this Saturday. Russia will not stop until it is stopped. The global community must focus on enforcing a just and lasting peace: arming Ukraine, including with F-16s to close the sky, and implementing Ukraine's Peace Formula.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) August 5, 2023
It should be noted that the Air Force confirmed that the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 multi-purpose fighters should begin at the end of August.
"We are targeting the end of summer to send pilots to European countries for training. We must understand that it will not be quick but will not be as long-lasting as the Russians hope.
I think our pilots will master the F-16 as quickly as (aircraft fighters) mastered the Patriot. The only thing is that the entire composition of the aviation coalition, all the countries that have training bases, simulators, instructors, training bases and planes so that everyone joins in because we need to do it quickly, we need to get as many people as possible through this training program," noted Yuriy Ihnat, the spokesperson of Air Force of Ukraine's armed forces.
For reference:
Russia shelled 12 Ukrainian regions during the day of August 5, and there were casualties among the civilian population.
In the Mykolaiv region, two Kalibr cruise missiles and two Shahed-136-type attack drones were destroyed by air defense forces this night.
In Cherkasy at night, air defense forces shot down a cruise missile over the region. There were no reports of injuries, property damage or fires. The data is being clarified.
During the night air alert in the Rivne region, explosions were recorded in the Dubno district of the region. Consequences are clarified.
The enemy shelled the rest of the regions with heavy artillery, mortars, MLRS, and machine guns.
In addition, on the morning of August 6, the Russian occupying forces fired at Kharkiv using S-300 surface-to-air missile systems.
It should be noted that on the evening of August 5 and during the night of August 6, the Russian invaders massively attacked the territory of Ukraine with missiles and strike drones: Ukrainian air defense shot down 30 rockets and 27 Shahed-136/131 drones. In total, Russia fired 70 missiles at Ukraine.
