Ukraine denies that there are major maintenance problems related to its fleet of F-16 aircraft

Ukraine on Friday rejected reports that most of its F-16 fighter jets are unavailable because of maintenance delays. Kyiv says it is using the aircraft supplied by its Western allies intensively, particularly for defense against Russian air attacks.

“Ukraine is using its F-16 fleet intensively under difficult conditions. Recent reports claiming extremely low aircraft availability and excessively long maintenance delays are simply false,” said Heorhii Tykhyi, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry.

The reaction came after The Wall Street Journal reported that “most” of Ukraine’s F-16 jets had reportedly been temporarily taken out of service pending mandatory inspections carried out after 300 flight hours. The checks were to be conducted by Belgian company Sabena Aerospace Engineering, which the American publication said was facing delays.

The Belgian company denied the allegations and said it was “very surprised” by reports of purported significant delays in the maintenance program. The Ukrainian official acknowledged that maintaining the aircraft is a challenge, especially in the case of older jets whose components are becoming increasingly difficult to procure.

Kyiv says, however, that its industrial partners continue to deliver overhauled aircraft at an increasingly rapid pace. The F-16s will be essential during the winter, when Ukraine expects Russian attacks on energy infrastructure to intensify. The first jets arrived in Ukraine in mid-2024, and Belgium has announced that it will deliver three more by the end of the year.