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Military operation in Ukraine

Ukraine could get about 50 F-16 fighter jets, Russian lawmaker says

Viktor Bondarev warned against underestimating the threat that the supplies of these fighter jets could pose, as the models that are slated to be sent to Ukraine are capable of carrying nuclear weapons

MOSCOW, July 24. /TASS/. Ukraine could get about 50 F-16 fighter jets, given that it’s one of the most produced Western warplanes, said Viktor Bondarev, the chairman of the Federation Council’s Defense and Security Committee.

"Given that the F-16 is one of the most produced Western military aircraft (about 5,000 of them have been produced), Ukraine may well receive as many as it has requested, that is about 50 units," he told TASS.

The lawmaker warned against underestimating the threat that the supplies of these fighter jets could pose, as he said the models that are slated to be sent to Ukraine are capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

"If the Americans have the guts to move forward with that kind of capability, it will affect the course of the special military operation in the most drastic way. Russia will respond immediately. And the conflict will risk escalating beyond the regional dimension and evolve into a global one," Bondarev said.

He said Russia needs to deploy more aircraft that are part of the early radar warning system and put in service more fighter jets and drones with strike and reconnaissance capabilities that "will be able to watch over enemy airfields in the operational rear."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN that Ukraine will receive F-16 fighter jets, but their delivery will take several months. He said progress was being made on the F-16 issue.

The White House had previously announced plans to transfer these aircraft to Kiev by the end of the year, although such plans were non-existent as recently as spring. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that Russia would perceive the delivery to Ukraine of fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear weapons as "a threat from the West in the nuclear domain.".

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Foreign policy Military operation in Ukraine

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