F-16s delivered to Ukraine to be stored in underground bunkers and hangars

F-16s fighter jets provided to Ukraine will be based in underground bunkers and protected hangars in order to protect them from Russian strikes, Major Ilya Yevlash, a spokesperson for the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has said. The military official said the advanced jets will be dispersed on different airfields and airstrips, and mock-ups will be used to mislead the enemy. “Given our modest fleet of workboats, which for obvious reasons has shrunk in more than two years, such measures should have been introduced a long time ago. But, as they say, better late than never,” Yevlash said. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said last week that F-16 aircraft will begin arriving in Ukraine this year, along with trained pilots and maintenance personnel. Addressing the Ramstein meeting, Austin said over the past two years, members of the Defense Contact Group have provided Ukraine with over 70 medium- and long-range air defense systems, thousands of missiles, over 3,000 armored vehicles, including more than 800 main battle tanks. Ukraine is due to receive its first much-anticipated US-made F-16s this summer and its pilots have been training on the jets for months. The planes are expected to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence amid intensified Russian strikes. Ukraine has long been asking for F-16s since the early stages of Russia’s full-fledged invasion of the country in February 2022. According to the Associate Press, Ukraine may use Western air bases when it gets F-16s because the jets require high-standard runways and protective hangars. Kremlin has warned Ukraine’s Western allies against providing Kyiv with F-16s, with Putin saying in March that Western air bases that host F-16s for Ukraine would be "legitimate" targets for his armed forces.