Paul McLeary and colleagues report in Politico:
Eight Ukrainian pilots who are fluent in English are ready to begin training on the fighter jet as soon as a formal training plan is drawn up by a handful of European allies and approved by the United States. 20 pilots that speak some English are available to start language courses in the United Kingdom as soon as this month. 32 Ukrainian pilots — enough for two squadrons — have been identified to potentially take part in the training program, but English proficiency remains a sticking point. Much of the instruction expected to take place in Denmark and Romania.
The first group of Ukrainian pilots that will take part in F-16 training have been identified, moving Kyiv one step closer to fielding an advanced warplane that could ward off further Russian invasions.
According to both a U.S. official and a person familiar with Ukrainian planning, who weren’t authorized to speak on the record about the plans, eight Ukrainian pilots who are fluent in English are ready to begin training on the fighter jet as soon as a formal training plan is drawn up by a handful of European allies and approved by the United States. The exact timing of that instruction remains unclear.
The U.S. official further said 20 pilots that speak some English are available to start language courses in the United Kingdom as soon as this month. (That may be what Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY meant when he announced the start of F-16 training in August.) Altogether, 32 Ukrainian pilots — enough for two squadrons — have been identified to potentially take part in the training program, but English proficiency remains a sticking point.
A coalition of 11 NATO countries will help Ukrainians learn how to fly the American warplane, with much of the instruction expected to take place in Denmark and Romania. The Biden administration is still awaiting a formal training proposal from European allies, but the U.S. official said Washington is “hopeful” the request will come within weeks.
U.S. officials insist the F-16s are for the yearslong defense of Ukraine, to make Russia think twice about enhancing its invasion of the country. The administration has repeatedly said that it doesn’t support Kyiv launching attacks inside Russia.
NatSec Daily understands that Ukrainian officials have vowed they would not use the F-16s to fly over sovereign Russian territory and bomb targets.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian sea drones damaged a Russian naval ship in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk on Friday. While Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it repelled the attack, footage shared widely on Telegram showed a Russian warship on fire and listing in the water.
That added to the growing list of Ukrainian strikes inside Russia and Crimea. This week alone included two drone attacks by Ukraine in the Russian capital, the latest one on Tuesday hitting a building housing Russian ministries.
On Sunday, after the Russian government blamed Kyiv for drone attacks in Moscow, Zelenskyy said that “gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia — to its symbolic centers and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process.”
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