The agency cited sources as saying that the deadline for the delivery of the unspecified number of US-made jets was the end of July, and it has been respected. The sources did not say how many jets have arrived, adding that it is small, the agency reported.
Bloomberg also cited sources as saying that it was unclear whether Ukrainian pilots who received training in the West to fly F-16s would be immediately able to use the jets or if the process would take longer.
On July 10, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the first batch of F-16 fighter jets would be handed over to Ukraine in the summer.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned the United States and its NATO allies that Moscow saw the presence of nuclear-capable F-16s in Ukraine as a nuclear threat.
President Vladimir Putin of Russia emphasized that even if Western countries supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, they will not have the power to alter the situation on the battlefield. He warned that if these fighter jets are deployed from third-country territories, they will be considered legitimate targets for Russian forces. The president further stated that the F-16s, just like other Western equipment delivered to Kiev, would be destroyed.