DISINFO: Russia benefits from the supply of F-16 fighters to Ukraine
SUMMARY
A British news outlet writes that Russian President Vladimir Putin will benefit from the supply of F-16 fighters to Ukraine, since the destruction of these aircraft will further strengthen Russia's image. The Russian army has hundreds of combat aircraft and an effective air defense system, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces simply do not have enough resources to counter them.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation claim aimed at downplaying the importance of military assistance to Ukraine. This claim was made in the context of Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine and of announcements about the provision of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by its supporters.
Russian media are manipulating data from the article "How Ukraine’s new F-16 fighter jets will help the fight against Putin’s forces and Russia’s drone attacks", which was published in the British media outlet the Independent. The article analyzes the arrival of the first American F-16s into service with the Ukrainian Air Force and emphasizes that the fighters "will be a much-needed addition to the country's current fleet of Soviet aircraft."
The main message of the article by British experts is that the F-16 will give the Ukrainian army a number of advantages over Russia, since the use of modern American fighters for attacks will significantly strengthen Ukraine's position in the sky.
“Ukraine would use the jets to intercept Russian missiles and drones, suppress enemy air defence systems, and strike Russian troop positions and ammunition depots with air-to-ground missiles...The plane’s advanced radars – fitted by Lockheed Martin – would allow Ukrainian pilots to pinpoint targets further away than they can in their current Soviet-era MiG-29s, Su-27s and Su-24s. They could also carry British-supplied Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles with a range of more than 250km (155 miles), potentially striking targets inside Russia.” the Independent article says.
The article says Ukraine will face a challenge in protecting the fighters from Russian attacks. According to the authors of the article, Ukrainian F-16s will be one of Russia’s main targets, because “Putin would savor the image that destroying F-16s from Nato countries would bring.”
“Even so, the Russians are aware that they’ll be up against a more formidable aircraft than they have met so far in the war and will likely adopt a more careful approach.” the Independent article concluded.
The appearance of such aircraft in service with the Ukrainian army means a significant strengthening of the Ukrainian air defence system and, in fact, requires the adoption of NATO standards by the Ukrainian air forces.
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