Russia is setting up “sophisticated” ambushes against Ukrainian fighter jets, one of Kyiv’s top pilots, who is immediately asking Western governments for help, told the Telegraph newspaper.

Chief of the General Staff Vadim Voroshilov said it was getting harder every day to contain the Russians using outdated Soviet aircraft and pleaded with the West to send F-16 fighters. The commander warned: “The Russians are constantly changing tactics, so the war is not stable. They make traps. They will send one Russian plane, fooling the Ukrainian pilot into thinking there is only one plane. Then two or three more will appear on either side of it, tearing it apart.

He explained that Russia has the ability to strike from a distance of 200 kilometers from the front line, and Ukraine must be much closer to the enemy to strike, which is much more dangerous. The pilots’ message is blunt: “Getting the F-16 will help us survive and keep more people alive.”

At just 29 years old, Voroshilov, nicknamed “Karaya”, became the most famous fighter pilot in Ukraine. This is partly due to his social media following when he was deified by President Zelensky after an incident while on patrol forced him to eject from his plane, which he steered into a field to crash safely.

He stressed that since Ukrainian pilots continue to fly Soviet-era MiG-29s, they can only “hold the battlefield.” Defeating the Russians, who fly modern Su-35 fighters and Su-34 bombers, has proven to be difficult.

Call for modern aircraft

Ukraine has requested to purchase American F-16s, as more than 3,000 aircraft are in operation worldwide. Over the years, the battle-proven multipurpose aircraft has been modernized and improved, including with the use of fifth-generation technologies and advanced radars.

However, Joe Biden recently said he does not want to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets yet, prompting Volodymyr Zelensky to call on Rishi Sunak to hand over RAF Typhoons to Ukraine. In February, the Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Defense to investigate which of the British aircraft could be transferred to Ukraine, although Sunak warned that it could take three years to train a pilot.

Officially, however, Ukraine estimates that its pilots will need about half a year of training to learn how to fly Western fighters such as the US F-16 as Kiev ramps up its efforts to secure such fourth-generation jets to fight back. Russian invasion.

Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ikhnat said the F-16s could be the best option to replace Ukraine’s existing fleet of aircraft. According to Ikhnat, the military currently uses four types of Soviet-era aircraft, which means that these aircraft are older than the country itself.

“Pilots say they have no problem flying the F-16, they can get the hang of it in a couple of weeks. Fighting on these planes is something completely different (…) Pilots say they could do it “in about six months,” he explained.

Ukraine is currently using its aircraft to intercept and attack Russian positions.

Ekhnat explained that in addition to pilots, it will also be necessary to train aviation engineers and other specialists. He also said that in Ukraine, work has already begun in various regions to create an airport infrastructure for Western aircraft.

According to a recent report by the Financial Times, the US defense industry Lockheed Martin is preparing to increase production of F-16 aircraft by cutting orders destined for Ukraine in the coming months. There are two scenarios circulating on this topic. The first of these wants Ukraine’s strong allies to overcome their initial hesitation and directly supply Kyiv with the fighters in question.

Alternatively, the possibility is being discussed that some of Ukraine’s allies, such as Poland and the Baltic states, will transfer Soviet MiG-29 aircraft from their fleet to Kiev and replace them with F-16s that they will buy themselves.

Source: Telegraph, Guardian, APE-MPE, Financial Times.