Danish Ambassador reveals when Ukraine will receive F-16 aircraft

Ole Egberg Mikkelsen (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)

Pilots and ground crews are gearing up for the deployment of F-16s in Ukraine. The aircraft are set to arrive from Denmark this summer, according to Denmark’s ambassador to Kyiv, Ole Egberg Mikkelsen, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.

“I’m not very familiar with the technicalities but I can quote my Prime Minister who was in Ukraine, in Lviv recently, she was asked the same question and she said they would arrive this summer. She did not specify which month. I can only refer to what she said,” the ambassador said.

He noted the complexity of the matter, emphasizing that it’s not just about the aircraft; it’s just one component. There’s also an entire support system, maintenance, and ground crews ensuring the aircraft’s operational readiness.

” It’s a huge task and I had the privilege of meeting some of the Ukrainian pilots at an airbase in Denmark back in August last year when your president came to Denmark,” Mikkelsen recounted.

According to him, the pilots and ground crews are eager to start using the aircraft.

“So I’m optimistic, I’m sure that they will arrive soon and they will hopefully soon be operational,” the ambassador added.

Recall that Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in February that the F-16 fighters being transferred by Denmark would appear in the Ukrainian sky in the summer of 2024.

Currently, Ukraine is preparing a series of measures to protect the F-16 fighters while they are stationed at airfields. This includes underground shelters and bunkers. The aircraft will be located on various types of runways, making it difficult for the Russians to detect them.