Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky lauded the “historic” decision to send F-16 fighter jets to reinforce the country’s Soviet-era air force during a visit to the Netherlands on Sunday.
A spokeswoman for the Dutch government has confirmed that at around lunchtime, Zelensky landed at an air force facility in Eindhoven and conducted an inspection of the plane.
As for the Netherlands and Denmark, their prime ministers have given their seal of approval: “The Netherlands and Denmark commit to transfer F-16s to Ukraine once the conditions for such a transfer have been met.” The decision is “absolutely historic, powerful, and inspiring for us,” Mr. Zelensky said at a press conference with Rutte.
The transfer of the planes to Ukraine remains a secret. The Ukrainian pilot training programme, which is being led by the Netherlands and Denmark as part of an 11-nation coalition, will teach its students to operate planes manufactured in the United States.
Nuclear risk
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that Moscow will view Western F-16 fighter jets dispatched to Ukraine as a “nuclear” threat due to their capability of carrying nuclear bombs.
On Sunday, Russia claimed to have prevented a second incident in which Ukrainian drones were used to assault Moscow and the surrounding area. According to a statement released by Russia’s defence ministry, “at around 4am, an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack by drone on infrastructure in Moscow and the Moscow region was thwarted.”
No injuries or property damage were reported after the drone, which was its route to Moscow, was destroyed by “electronic warfare” and landed into an unoccupied area.
The regional governor said on Sunday that five people were hurt when a Ukrainian drone strike targeted a railway station in the western Russian city of Kursk. According to the governor, two Ukrainian drones were caught by Russian air defence in the southern part of Rostov, which borders Ukraine.
Reply to the Chernobyl Disaster by Ukraine
After Saturday’s attack on the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, which occurred as some residents were attending morning church services, Zelensky has promised “a tangible answer” to the violence. The attack occurred on the Orthodox holiday of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
The governor of the Chernihiv area, Vyacheslav Chaus, provided an update on Sunday, saying, “seven people died, 148 people received injuries.”
Zelensky said that among the dead was a girl of six, and that 15 of the missing were also youngsters.
To read our article about “The founder of Adobe passes away at age of 82” click here.
