Putin says F-16s in Ukraine ‘won’t change the situation on the battlefield’

Russian President Vladimir Putin this week said that Ukraine obtaining F-16 fighter jets “won’t change the situation on the battlefield.”

Putin, speaking to Russian air force pilots Wednesday, said that Russia had no plans to attack a NATO country. However, he said if the West supplies Ukraine with F-16s, Russia would shoot them down.

“[T]his will not change the situation on the battlefield. We will destroy their aircraft just like we are now destroying their tanks, armoured vehicles and other equipment, including multiple launch rocket systems,” Putin said, according to a transcript released by the Kremlin.

“Of course, we would see them as legitimate targets if they operate from the airfields of third countries, no matter where they are located. F-16 aircraft can also carry nuclear weapons, and we will also have to heed this while organising our combat operations,” he added.

The U.S. and other allies of Kyiv approved sending F-16s to Ukraine last year, and Ukrainian pilots have since been training in the West to learn how to fly them. Reuters noted that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the country should receive the F-16s in the coming months.

Putin also pushed back on claims that Russia is looking to attack NATO countries, including Poland. He accused NATO of expanding east, saying that the members “believe that all this meets their national interests to some extent, and they fear a big and strong Russia, although this is pointless.”

“It is therefore complete nonsense when they claim that we can attack some other countries, including Poland, the Baltics and they are scaring the Czech Republic, too. This amounts to ravings, and this is another way of deceiving their own population, forcing the people to spend more money and to shoulder this burden. This is it,” Putin said.

A Russian missile briefly entered Polish airspace during a massive missile attack on Ukraine on Sunday, prompting Poland to demand answers from Moscow.