MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/ The number of F-16 fighters available to the Ukrainian military is negligible, akin to a drop in the ocean, according to Major-General Vladimir Popov, a member of the expert council of the All-Russia Organization "Officers of Russia," who was speaking in an interview with TASS.

"The 12 F-16s that have been provided to the Ukrainian military are inconsequential when considering the approximately 2,000 kilometers of the frontline where we face the enemy. They are merely a drop in the ocean," stated Popov, an honored military pilot of Russia. He likened the limited number of F-16s in the combat theater to "a small piece of butter on a large bun."

In his view, the combat potential of these fighters is either minimal or "not noticeable at all." He asserted that a genuine threat to the Russian Armed Forces would arise only if there were 30 to 50 F-16s concentrated in a single area.

"These F-16s are constantly relocating. The Ukrainian military is concealing them from our aviation strikes and missile attacks," Popov emphasized. He noted that the Ukrainians are employing the F-16s for air defense over major cities, which provides an opportunity for their crews to gain training.

On April 13, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that one of the Ukrainian Air Force's F-16 aircraft had been shot down by Russian air defenses.