Putin: The usage of F-16s against Russia will make them a legitimate target anywhere

The F-16 fighter jets will be a legitimate target for Russia in case they are used against the Russian Armed Forces from the airfields of third countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin said this in a conversation with fighter pilots in Tver Oblast, Russia.

“Of course, if they are used from the airfields of third countries, they will become legal targets for us, no matter where they are,” Putin noted.

Ukraine has been asking its partners for F-16 fighter jets for a long time. However, the West emphasizes the impossibility of providing Kyiv with such aircraft without appropriate preliminary training of the ground crew. Denmark, the Netherlands, the U.S. and several other Western countries are actively involved in the training of Ukrainian pilots.

However, Kyiv’s partners themselves note that the importance of F-16 fighters should not be exaggerated. According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, these fighter jets alone will not be able to radically change the situation on the battlefield, although they will increase the capabilities of the Ukrainian troops to some extent.