The Netherlands and Denmark announced that they will provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets. It’s a long-awaited announcement on Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said would be an important boost for his country’s forces engaged in a complex counteroffensive against Russia. This is reported by the Associated Press.

The schedule for the delivery of the planes depends on how quickly Ukrainian crews and infrastructure will be ready for the powerful American-made planes, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told Zelensky during a visit to the Dutch airbase.

Ukraine has long advocated for this sophisticated fighter to give it an advantage in combat operations. Kyiv recently launched a long-awaited counteroffensive against Kremlin forces, but without air cover, pitting its forces against Russian aircraft and artillery.

Zelensky hailed the “historic” announcement and praised former prime minister Mark Rutte for making the Netherlands the first country to offer the planes. The announcement came minutes after the two leaders inspected two F-16 jets parked in a hangar at the air base in the southern city of Eindhoven.

ZELENSKY REMEMBERS 42 PLANES, THE NETHERLANDS AND DENMARK AVOID NUMBERS

“I am proud that Denmark, together with the Netherlands, will provide F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine’s struggle for freedom against Russia and its senseless aggression. Denmark’s support for Ukraine is unwavering, and with the delivery of the F-16s, Denmark is now leading the way,” Danish Defense Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said in a statement shortly afterward.

Zelenskyy wrote in his Telegram channel that Ukraine will receive 42 aircraft, but the Netherlands and Denmark did not specify their number in a joint statement about deliveries.

Rutte said the Netherlands had 42 aircraft, but clarified that some of them would be needed for training purposes.

It is also not specified when the planes will go to Ukraine, but Rutte expressed hope that it will be in the near future.

“F-16s will not immediately help the war effort now. In any case, this is a long-term commitment on the part of the Netherlands,” said the Dutch leader. “We want them to work as soon as possible. Not within the next month, that’s impossible, but hopefully soon after that,” he commented.

UKRAINIAN PILOTS ALSO TRAIN IN ROMANIA

Zelensky said that this statement is a strong signal to his forces. “The F16 will certainly add new energy, confidence and motivation to fighters and civilians alike. I am sure that this will bring new results for Ukraine and all of Europe,” he said.

The governments of the Netherlands and Denmark are also involved in a coalition working to train Ukrainian pilots to fly modern fighter jets. Zelenskyy refused to say how many Ukrainian pilots will be trained in Denmark and then in Romania, citing security considerations. However, Denmark said on Friday that the training would begin this month, while Ukraine’s defense minister said in an interview with Ukrainian television on Saturday that pilot training had already begun, but gave no details on the location or number of forces involved.

Earlier, officials stated that Ukrainian pilots would need 6-8 months of training.

On Friday, the Netherlands and Denmark said that the United States allowed them to deliver American-made F-16s to Ukraine. Washington’s approval was seen as a major boost for Kyiv, even if the fighter jets are unlikely to have any immediate impact on the nearly 18-month-old war.

Washington says the F-16s, like America’s advanced Abrams tanks, will be crucial in the long term in Kyiv’s confrontation with Russia.

Ukraine has bet on older aircraft, such as the MiG-29 and Russian-made Sukhoi aircraft. F-16s have newer technology and targeting capabilities. They’re also more versatile, experts say.

Earlier on Sunday, in a video message, Zelensky promised to give a strict response to the Russian missile attack on the center of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, which killed seven people and injured more than 100.