Ukraine denies F-16 maintenance crisis — The Hindu

Ukraine has denied reports of critically low readiness of F-16 fighter jets due to maintenance delays and a shortage of parts. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said that the aircraft are being intensively operated in difficult conditions and that their maintenance is not straightforward.

The Hindu reported this on October 3. Earlier, The Wall Street Journal wrote that more than half of Ukraine's F-16 fleet was allegedly not in use due to delays in maintenance and a shortage of components. The publication also claimed that by the end of the year, the problem could affect all Ukrainian-made U.S. aircraft.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's position

Tykhyi acknowledged that some components for the early F-16 modification are no longer manufactured, making them increasingly difficult to find. At the same time, he called reports of catastrophically low aircraft readiness and excessively long maintenance periods false.

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According to him, repaired aircraft from allies are now being transferred more quickly. The Ukrainian side expects industrial partners to optimize F-16 technical support processes and ensure the highest possible aircraft readiness during the winter months.

Service company's statement and new deliveries

Belgian company Sabena Engineering, which services Ukrainian F-16s, also rejected reports of significant delays in the maintenance program. The company said that, together with government and industry partners, it is taking measures to increase aircraft availability and return them to service as quickly as possible.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Belgium plans to transfer three more F-16s to Ukraine by the end of the year. The fighter jets are used, in particular, to counter high-speed jet drones, with which the Russian Federation—an aggressor state—is increasingly attacking Ukraine, including Kyiv.