F-16 jets no silver bullet for Ukraine in war with Russia

(Reuters)

KYIV, Aug 1 – Ukraine has received a first batch of U.S.-built F-16 fighter jets to help it fight Russian forces, Lithuania’s foreign minister and a U.S. official have said.

The long-awaited arrival is a milestone for Ukraine, which has not publicly commented on it for now. The lengthy process to procure the U.S.-designed aircraft and train Ukrainian pilots to fly them has frustrated Kyiv.

Russia has had time to prepare defences to try to nullify the F-16s’ impact, and Ukraine has had to survive with a depleted air force a fraction of the size and sophistication of its enemy’s.

Here are some facts about how the F-16s may help Ukraine and what obstacles still lie in the way of effective deployment.