Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov in a TV interview informed about the training, adding that it would take at least six months or possibly longer to complete it.
“Therefore, to build reasonable expectations, set a minimum of six months in your mind, but do not be disappointed if it is longer,” said Reznikov, adding that he would not give details on where and when the training was taking place,
Earlier this week, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured his Danish and Dutch counterparts that Washington will accelerate clearance of F-16 transfer requests for the war-torn nation after the pilots are trained.
“I am writing to express the United States’ full support for both the transfer of F-16 fighter aircraft to Ukraine and for the training of Ukrainian pilots by qualified F-16 instructors,” wrote Blinken in a letter accessed by Reuters.
“It remains critical that Ukraine is able to defend itself against ongoing Russian aggression and violation of its sovereignty,” he added.
He said the approval of the requests would allow Ukraine to take “full advantage of its new capabilities as soon as the first set of pilots complete their training”
