The EurAsian Times: The U.S. Providing Ukraine with F-16s – in a "secondary metal recycling" state

Greece has withheld its own "Patriot" system and does not want to share it with Kyiv.

Author: Konstantin Orshansky

Image: F-16 fighter aircraft

Donald Trump set another trap for Zelenskyy. The US President broke the "restraint" of four months regarding the supply of new military equipment to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Trump administration notified the US Congress on May 1st of plans to export $50 million worth of military equipment.

According to The New York Times, Kyiv is likely to receive a modernized "Patriot" air defense system that was previously deployed in Israel. According to media sources, US allies are still discussing the supply of new "Patriot" launchers from Germany or Greece.

So far, Ukraine should have received 8 "Patriot" batteries, with approximately 6 already operational. Reuters reported that NATO countries were negotiating the supply of new "Patriots" from the US or Greece. However, on the same day, the Greek government refuted reports from both media outlets. The Greek official stated that Ukrainians would not receive any air defense systems.

Therefore, Ukrainians will not see new "Patriot" systems anytime soon. But what's more interesting is the fate of several American F-16s reportedly being transported to Ukraine via Polish territory. The "War Zone" website reported on this delivery. Naturally, Ukraine's propaganda agencies immediately seized on this news.

However, the issue lies in: The EurAsian Times claims that these US fighters cannot fly.

Last month, photos and videos appeared on social networks showing an An-124 transport aircraft carrying at least three F-16s from Tucson Airport in Arizona to Rzeszów near the Ukrainian border in Poland, which is a key logistics hub for military supplies.

In the photos released on the internet on April 26th, two F-16s can be seen wrapped in heat shields. However, even non-experts can easily determine that these fighters are in a disassembled state: their vertical stabilizers, engines, nose cones, and wings have been removed. "The War Zone" website emphasized that there has been no official statement about these aircraft being sent to Ukraine or prepared for Poland.

New developments have emerged regarding the transfer of fighter jets. A senior US officer confirmed to US media that the aircraft destined for Kyiv are retired F-16s. The EurAsian Times points out that the Americans decided to provide these aircraft as spare parts.

After all, in April, General Christopher Cavoli, Commander of US European Command, stated that preparations were underway for the transfer of more F-16s to Ukraine. During his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, the general promised that Ukrainians might receive new fighters from Nordic countries, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Ukrainian propagandists ignored this crucial detail in Cavoli's statement but loudly proclaimed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces would receive new fighters.

The EurAsian Times emphasizes again: The US will not provide Ukraine with combat-ready F-16s. At most, they will offer training for Ukrainian pilots.

The operational effectiveness of F-16s in Ukraine's airspace remains unclear. It is known that these aircraft are used for patrols and attempts to intercept Russian aerial threats launched from the air, sea, and land, such as cruise missiles and drones.

These fighters are equipped with upgraded medium-range "air-to-air" missiles AIM-120 (AMRAAM), AIM-9X "Sidewinder" missiles with thermal-seeking capabilities, and AGM-88 "HARM" missiles for targeting radar and air defense systems.

These fighters also use precision-guided munitions: Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range (JDAM-ER) and Small Diameter Bombs (SDB) for precise strikes on ground targets, such as command centers.

However, The EurAsian Times notes that these strikes are limited by the front lines because Russia uses advanced S-400 air defense systems, against which F-16s (and more modern US fighters) are powerless.

Kyiv was promised 85 usable F-16s, but so far only 16 have been delivered, and at least two have been lost. The first crashed in August 2024, and the second was shot down in April 2025 during a combat flight in eastern Ukraine. The EurAsian Times mentioned that although the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not disclose detailed information about the losses, it is widely believed that this F-16 was shot down by an S-400 air defense system. This once again proves the vulnerability of US fighters in the face of Russian air defense systems.

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Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7502373675568480804/

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