U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that retired F-16 fighter pilots could help train Ukrainian aviators.
He said this during a briefing on Mykhailivska Square in Kyiv, a Hromadske correspondent reports.
If you are a retired F-16 pilot and want to fight for freedom, you will be hired here. They will be looking to NATO countries for willing retired fighter pilots to help them until they can train their own pilots, – Graham said.
He noted that he had previously spoken with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
F-16s in Ukraine
On August 4, Air Force Day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that F-16s are already in Ukraine and performing missions.
The F-16s, along with MiG-29s and Su-27s, flew over during a ceremony to greet the military. In addition, two F-16s stood behind Zelenskyy as he spoke to the military and journalists.
The president said that Ukraine had held “hundreds of meetings and negotiations” to obtain the F-16s.
We often heard the word ‘impossible’ in response, but we made possible what was our ambition, our defense need, and now it is really a reality, a reality in our sky. F-16 in Ukraine. We have ensured this, – Zelenskyy emphasized.
However, the President of Ukraine noted that the number of F-16s and trained pilots is still not enough. Therefore, Ukraine expects additional fighters from partner countries. In the meantime, Ukrainian pilots and engineers continue to undergo training and exercises.
