TORZHOK /Tver Region/, March 28. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia will take into account in the fact that F-16 fighter jets can carry nuclear weapons.
"F-16 jets can carry nuclear weapons. And we must take this into account while planning [combat operations]," he said at a meeting with military pilots in the Tver Region.
Ukraine has long been asking its Western partners to supply F-16 fighter jets, but the West has consistently maintained that such planes could not be transferred to Ukraine until Kiev’s pilots and ground crews underwent relevant training. Several countries have said that they are ready to take part in programs for the training of Ukrainian pilots. Thus, the Pentagon said in late September that the training of Ukrainian pilots had already begun in Denmark.
However, Kiev’s partners note that the role of F-16 jets should not be overestimated. According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, these warplanes cannot change the situation in the zone of combat operation, although they will enhance Ukraine’s combat capabilities.