Ukraine recently started using a small number of F-16 fighter jets, but after two months, these planes haven’t made much of an impact in the ongoing war. Ukrainian President Zelensky’s government is now shifting focus, asking for other jets, like the Gripen and Eurofighter, while still relying mostly on drone attacks against Russia. A Russian military aviation expert, Major Andrei Krasnoperov, spoke to Sputnik and explained why the F-16s are struggling to make a difference.
Krasnoperov said that fighter jets like the F-16 are not easy to hide. “A plane isn’t a tiny needle that’s tough to find. It’s a big metal machine that needs a secure shelter,” he explained. However, even these concrete shelters don’t provide enough protection if hit by a powerful missile. He mentioned Russia’s Kinzhal missile, which is incredibly fast and powerful. If it strikes close enough to a shelter, the structure would collapse, making it useless.
The expert also emphasized how fragile fighter jets are. Even if they aren’t directly hit, the damage from nearby explosions, like shrapnel, could easily put an F-16 out of service. Fixing such damage is expensive and requires foreign-trained specialists, which Ukraine doesn’t have easy access to.
Krasnoperov pointed out that Ukraine has only received around six F-16s so far, and they’ve already lost one by accident. This happened when Ukraine’s own air defense system mistakenly shot it down, tragically killing the pilot. Sending F-16s into Russian-controlled areas is also risky because Russia has strong air defenses and fighter jets ready to destroy enemy aircraft from hundreds of kilometers away.
Ukraine, however, has launched a PR campaign to make the F-16s seem more powerful than they are. According to Krasnoperov, this is meant to boost morale for the Ukrainian military. But the reality is harsher. Russia can easily track and destroy these planes if they know where they are stationed. Even new underground bunkers built by Ukraine won’t save the jets in the long run. Russia is already targeting such facilities and can even detect their construction from space.
Krasnoperov added that Russia’s advanced Kinzhal missiles can penetrate up to 100 meters into the ground, meaning that any bunker, no matter how deep, could be destroyed. He pointed out that Russia has already reportedly taken out two of Ukraine’s F-16s and that this is just the beginning.
Looking ahead, Ukraine hopes to be flying 20 F-16s by the end of the year and possibly 79 by 2025, but only if Russia doesn’t destroy them first. Krasnoperov views the West’s delivery of F-16s as a business move—NATO countries are getting rid of their old planes, making way for newer models like the F-35, and expecting the U.S. to cover the cost. He mentioned that a similar strategy was used when Eastern European NATO members handed over their older MiG and Sukhoi jets to Ukraine, which have mostly been wiped out in the conflict.
Krasnoperov believes that even if Ukraine gets more F-16s, it won’t be enough. These planes are just a “drop in the ocean” compared to what Ukraine would need to stand a chance against Russia’s superior air defenses.
