It was in August 2023 that the US President Joe Biden, after long hesitation, gave the green light to send advanced American fighter jets of the F-16 type to help Ukraine against Russia's war of aggression.
Now, the first planes are said to be in place. In a post on X (Twitter), Lithuania's Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis writes: "F-16 planes in Ukraine. Yet another impossible thing proved to be fully possible."
At NATO's top meeting in July, Denmark and the Netherlands confirmed that they had begun their deliveries of fighter jets.
The two countries have promised to send a total of 43 F-16s to Ukraine.
In addition, Belgium will send another 30 fighter jets and Norway six planes.
Ukraine has long pressured the Western world to send F-16s, which they believe are necessary to counter Russia.
But leaders in the US and Europe were long hesitant due to concerns about further escalation of the conflict.
Russia's air fleet is estimated to be ten times larger than Ukraine's, even after the addition of F-16s, according to AP.
