Ukrainian Defence Minister: The long process of training our pilots for F-16 aircraft has begun

(Patria) - Training for Ukrainians to operate American F-16 fighter jets has begun, but it will take at least six months, possibly longer.

This was stated by Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, two days after a US official said that F-16s would be transferred to Ukraine once its pilots are trained, Reuters reports.

Reznikov said in a television interview that six months of training is considered the minimum for pilots, but it is not yet known how long it will take to train engineers and mechanics.

Ukraine wants American-made warplanes to counter Russia's air superiority, whose forces invaded the country in February 2022.

- Therefore, to build reasonable expectations, take a minimum of six months, but do not be disappointed if it is longer - he told Channel 24 host Andriana Kucher, who shared the interview on her YouTube channel.

A US official said on Thursday that Washington had approved the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands as soon as pilot training is completed.

Reznikov said he would not provide details on where and when the training is taking place.

- The training includes learning the "language of technology", as the common basic level of English was insufficient - he added.