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Military operation in Ukraine

Pentagon silent on start of training additional 18 Ukrainian pilots

Earlier, US President Joe Biden ordered the Pentagon to expand training for Ukrainian F-16 pilots, by supporting the training of an additional 18 pilots next year

WASHINGTON, October 4. /TASS/. The United States is not yet ready to say when it will begin a training course for additional 18 Ukrainian pilots to fly US-made F-16 fighter jets, Department of Defense deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh has told reporters.

"I don't have any timeframe for you on that. As you know, one of the requirements for pilot training is a proficiency in the English language. So once those pilots are trained and ready, we will start working with them. But I just don't have an update or timeline for you," she said, answering to a reporter’s question.

Earlier, US President Joe Biden ordered the Pentagon to expand training for Ukrainian F-16 pilots, by supporting the training of an additional 18 pilots next year.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on August 7 that F-16 fighters would not become a magic pill that could influence the course of hostilities and "will be consistently destroyed by the Russian armed forces.".

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Military operation in Ukraine

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Pentagon silent on start of training additional 18 Ukrainian pilots

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