Belgium to transfer three F-16s to Ukraine by end of year, Zelenskiy says
Ukraine's president says Belgium has agreed to transfer three F-16 fighter jets by the end of the year, and that urgent ammunition deliveries for the aircraft have already arrived from Belgium and Spain.
KYIV — Belgium will transfer three F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of the year to help in its war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday.
“There is an important agreement with Belgium on the transfer of three F-16 fighter jets by the end of this year,” he wrote on X. “We will work to receive these aircraft through an accelerated procedure.”
Zelenskiy said Ukraine had already received “urgent deliveries” of F-16 ammunition from Belgium and Spain, among other countries.
In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said Ukraine had received delivery the day before of a “very good” assistance package of a NASAMS air defence system, developed jointly in the United States and Norway. He expressed thanks on social media to the United States and Norway.
He also said talks were proceeding to ensure that Ukraine has a supply of missiles for the Patriot air defence system, which plays a critical role in intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.
Zelenskiy said tests were continuing to improve the efficiency of Ukrainian interceptors against Russian jet-powered drones, which fly higher and faster than conventional drones. Of more than 100 Russian drones deployed on Tuesday, he said, 29 were jet-powered and 18 of those had been downed.
Sources
- Reuters, “Belgium to transfer three F-16s to Ukraine this year, Zelenskiy says”, 29 September 2026
More on this topic: all World stories
