GENICHESK, August 8. /TASS/. F-16 fighter jets have been spotted over the Kakhovka District in the Kherson Region, district head Pavel Filipchuk said.

"Dear Kakhovka residents, fellow countrymen. Since yesterday, F-16 jets have been flying over our district. This is done only to sow panic, to suppress our faith in victory. It is important not to succumb to these sentiments and remain steadfast. Their lifespan is as long as that of a mosquito. They will all be shot down and destroyed," he said on Telegram.

The official also said that the F-16s will soon be featured as exhibits at a Moscow display of captured military equipment.

F-16 in Ukraine

On August 4, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine had taken the first delivery of F-16 fighter jets from Western allies. He did not specify how many aircraft were handed over and where they would be based.

Before that, the Economist reported that Ukraine had received 10 F-16 jets from Western countries, and it is planned to increase that number to 20 by the end of the year. According to the report, Ukraine can count on a total of 79 F-16 jets, which the West will continue to transfer incrementally throughout 2025.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that deliveries of new weapons, including F-16s, to Ukraine would not change the situation on the battlefield, but would lead to a prolongation of the situation. He also said the fighter jets, if Ukraine comes to operate them, will burn just like any other much-touted Western military equipment.