In the future, other countries will join the coalition, the head of the Ministry of Defense noted. The training program for Ukrainian pilots will be ready by July 2023.
The Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov stated that the "Aircraft Coalition" has been formed and now Denmark and the Netherlands will provide training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on June 16.
"This is only the first step. Very soon we will see other countries joining the coalition. By July, a program will be ready that will provide for a consistent plan for the training of our military," Reznikov said during a visit to the NATO headquarters in Brussels.
The head of the defense department added that in addition to the provision of combat aircraft to Ukraine, the issues of artillery, ammunition and air defense systems were discussed at the Ramstein-style meeting.
In addition, Rezknikov announced the creation of a coalition in the field of information technologies. According to him, it will be attended by Estonia and Luxembourg, which will provide their support in the field of IT and cyber protection.
"Today, more than 50 countries stand side by side with Ukraine in this unprovoked war started by Russia. I thank Lloyd Austin for his leadership, and I also thank all our friends and partners for their steadfast support," Reznikov emphasized.
It will be recalled that the Minister of Defense of Spain, Margarita Robles, said on June 15 that Madrid plans to send 20 tracked armored vehicles to Ukraine, as well as 4 Leopard 2A4 tanks, which were previously under repair. In addition, a military hospital will be provided for the needs of the Armed Forces.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on June 15 that Ukrainian pilots have started training on F-16 fighters in NATO countries. However, the speaker of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Colonel Yuriy Ignat, denied Stoltenberg's words. The officer stated that the process of training pilots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is difficult and time-consuming, and Ukrainian military specialists in Europe are still working on this issue.
