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FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine War

Why Western F-16s Are Key To Ukraine's Counteroffensive

President West has pledged to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine and train pilots. Kyiv hopes the jets will swing the fighting in its favor as it prepares its counter-offensive reports independent Russian news outlet Vazhnyye Istorii.

Why Western F-16s Are Key To Ukraine's Counteroffensive

A U.S. Navy flight deck crew sailor watches a fighter jet's routine operation.

-Analysis-

KYIV — After the U.S. announced it will help train Ukrainians on F-16 fighter jets in late May, Yuriy Ignat, spokesman for the Ukrainian air force command, confidently declared: "Once we have the F-16s, we'll win this war."

Military experts argue that it may not be as simple as that, but for military pilot instructor and Ukrainian reserve colonel, Roman Svitan, the Western fighters could help cut Ukrainian casualties and even shift the balance in Ukraine's favor during the counteroffensive.

Ukraine is gearing up to expel the Russian forces that have invaded its territory. While the specifics of the counteroffensive are shrouded in secrecy, and experts continue to debate the likelihood of its success, it appears that the long-term objective is reclaiming all the territories currently occupied by Russia, including Crimea and the Donbas region.

Speaking to the independent Russian news site Important Stories, Roman Svitan explains how the F-16s could help Ukraine achieve this objective.

For starters, Ukraine can reach the Azov coast in the southeast under the protection of surface-to-air missile systems and sufficient artillery cover, Svitan explains.

“The ground is as flat as a table," he notes, "so it's easy to pull equipment like artillery there."

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