ウクライナにＦ１６戦闘機到着　ゼレンスキー大統領が公開

【キーウＡＦＰ＝時事】ウクライナのウォロディミル・ゼレンスキー大統領は４日、米国製のＦ１６戦闘機の第１陣が到着したと発表した。（写真は、ウクライナに到着したＦ１６戦闘機の前で会見を行うウォロディミル・ゼレンスキー大統領〈左〉）
　ゼレンスキー氏は、安全保障上の理由からメディアに非公表を求めた場所でＦ１６を披露。ウクライナの国章が描かれ、機体の一部にカバーが掛けられたＦ１６の前に立ち、「（Ｆ１６の配備は）『不可能だ』とたびたび言われてきたが、今現実のものとなった」と述べた。発表の最中、上空では数機によるデモ飛行も行われた。
　ゼレンスキー氏は、今回受け取ったＦ１６の機数や具体的な任務については明らかにしなかったが、ＡＦＰ記者は現場で少なくとも２機のＦ１６を確認した。
　一方でゼレンスキー氏は、Ｆ１６の追加供与が必要だと訴え、「うれしいことに、今後もさらにわが国への移送が予定されている」と語った。
　北大西洋条約機構（ＮＡＴＯ）加盟国の一部は、ウクライナにＦ１６の供与を約束しており、数か月にわたって同国のパイロットらへの訓練を行っている。
　こうした支援についてゼレンスキー氏は、デンマーク、オランダ、米国といった支援国に謝意を表した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/08/05-17:05）

Ukraine has received its first batch of US-made F-16 fighter jets, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday, quickly adding that more are needed to beat back Russian forces.
For more than two years, Ukraine has pleaded with its Western partners for the aircraft -- long considered the crown jewel in the sprawling list of military hardware Kyiv has sought.
We often heard the word 'impossible'. Now it is a reality. Reality in our skies. F-16s in Ukraine. We made it happen, Zelensky said, as some flew above him during the announcement.
Zelensky was standing in front of what looked like two grey, partially-covered F-16s branded with the Ukrainian trident, in a location reporters were asked not to disclose for security reasons.
I am proud of all our guys who are mastering these aircraft and have already started using them for our country, he said.
He did not say how many jets had been delivered and declined to comment on their specific tasks, but AFP journalists saw at least two F-16s on the spot.
The announcement was welcomed by many as Kyiv's forces are struggling to hold back advances by Russian troops.
- 'Not enough' -
This is the combat aircraft we have been waiting for, which can significantly enhance our capabilities, said Parliament chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk.
Kyiv hopes the arrival of the fighter jets -- touted for their precision, speed and range -- will enable it to better protect itself from Russian bombardment.
They could begin to provide an offensive air capability to Ukraine, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Their decisiveness will however depend on a number of factors including the types of weapons provided with the planes and proficiency levels of pilots, the report suggested.
Zelensky immediately warned more were needed.
Our partners know that the number of F-16s we have in Ukraine, the number of pilots who have already been trained, is not enough, he said.
The good news is that we are expecting additional F-16s, he added.
Several NATO countries have pledged to supply varying numbers of the fighter jets and have been training Ukrainian pilots and crews for months.
Our guys are training a lot, Zelensky said, thanking Denmark, the Netherlands, the US and other allies.
- 'Saving lives' -
Amid a Russian air campaign in recent months, Kyiv has placed Ukraine's need for improved air defences at the top of the agenda in meetings with allies.
I am grateful to our allies for this decision. First and foremost, the effective use of modern aircraft means saving the lives of Ukrainian servicemen, Armed Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrsky said.
During an interview with AFP in May, Zelensky said Ukraine needed around 130 F-16s to secure parity with Russian air power.
Ukraine's partners, however, have promised to send less than 100 F-16s to date, with most likely to arrive over the course of several years following substantial pilot training.
Recent strikes on Ukrainian airfields have also raised questions about Kyiv's ability to protect the multi-million-dollar planes from Russian raids.
In early July, Russia claimed to have destroyed five military jets during a barrage on an air base in central Ukraine.
Following the bombing, Ukrainian military correspondents lambasted the air force's top brass, saying planes at the airfield had been parked in the open without sufficient protection.
Russia warned last week that any F-16s delivered to Ukraine would be shot down and claimed they would have little impact on the battlefield.
Ukraine's air force has long relied on a fleet of ageing Soviet-era MIG-29 and Sukhoi jets, which have increasingly come under strain following more than two years of demanding combat missions.