As of today, Russia's greatest strategic advantage over Ukraine is air superiority, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says during the opening ceremony of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024.
"As of now, Russia's greatest strategic advantage over Ukraine is its superiority in the sky. This is missile and bomb terror. It helps Russian troops to advance on the ground and Russian hatred to destroy the lives of Ukrainians,” the President says.
F-16s for Ukraine
Last year, many North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states decided to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets. In particular, they agreed to train Ukrainian pilots for these aircraft. At the end of May, it became known that the first group of Ukrainian pilots had already completed training on F-16s at a military base in the United States.
According to the head of the Danish government, Mette Fredriksen, Ukraine will soon receive its first fighter jets.
Meanwhile, Belgium has pledged to provide 30 F-16s to our country by 2028.
Massive Russian shelling of Ukraine
In recent months, Russia has intensified its massive shelling of Ukraine. In particular, Ukrainian energy infrastructure facilities were targeted, which provoked the return of the blackout schedules. The issue of strengthening air defense has become even more acute.