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[Global Times special correspondents in Russia and Germany Li Linjia Qingmu Global Times special correspondent Liu Yupeng] "At least today I can tell you publicly that we can use them." Ukrainian President Zelensky announced on the 4th that Ukrainian pilots have begun flying F-16 fighter jets to perform missions in Ukraine. Western media generally reported that this confirmed that more than 29 months after the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the US-made fighter jets finally arrived in Ukraine, which can be regarded as a "milestone" event for Ukraine, which has always been eager to obtain this fighter jet. Although the Associated Press said,F-16The F-16 will strengthen Ukraine's military, especially upgrade its air defense capabilities, but analysts say that the F-16 alone will not reverse the situation on the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield. Zelensky told AFP in May that Ukraine needs about 130 F-16s to ensure a balance with Russian air power. However, Western countries have promised to deliver less than 100 so far, most of which are likely to be delivered in the next few years. Not only that, the Ukrainian president said at the event on the 4th that Ukraine still does not have enough trained pilots to fly the F-16. In this context, Russian media quoted Russian experts as saying that these aircraft will be destroyed, just like the Soviet aircraft that previously served in the Ukrainian army. By the time the next batch of F-16s are delivered, the current F-16s are unlikely to still exist. The Ukrainian authorities have never realized that what the West needs is not Ukraine's victory, but a prolonged war with Russia.

"It's time for a new chapter for the Ukrainian Air Force"

"We have held hundreds of meetings and negotiations to strengthen our aviation and air defense capabilities," Zelensky said in a speech at an air force base outside Kiev on the 4th, according to CNN. "We often hear the answer: This is impossible." He said, "Now it has become a reality. F-16 fighter jets are already in service in Ukraine. I am proud of all the soldiers who fly these aircraft and have begun to use them for our country."

The Associated Press said the event was held at a secret location with tight security measures to protect the F-16 from Russian attacks. Zelensky also thanked Denmark, the Netherlands and the United States, saying, "Now is a new chapter for the Ukrainian Air Force. We have done a lot of work to ensure that the Ukrainian Air Force turns to the new aviation standard - Western fighter jets."

On August 4, local time, Ukrainian President Zelensky stood in front of a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet and answered questions from the media. (Visual China)

Zelensky did not comment on specific combat missions and how many F-16s Ukraine already has, but he admitted that "so far, the number of (F-16s) Ukraine has and the number of pilots who have been trained is not enough." Zelensky also said that more F-16s will arrive in Ukraine and hoped that "partners will find opportunities to expand the training platform for our pilots and engineers. This is very important for us."

Reuters noted that at the scene of Zelensky's speech, two F-16 fighter jets were parked on both sides of the base, and two more were flying in the air. According to a previous report by the British "Economist", Ukraine received 10 F-16 fighter jets at the end of July. Ukraine's "Kiev Independent" reported that the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Belgium have promised to provide Kiev with at least 79 F-16s.

According to Reuters on the 4th, Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Sersky welcomed the arrival of the F-16 and thanked Zelensky and other officials for their "round-the-clock" work to ensure the arrival of the fighter jets. He said that the arrival of these fighter jets will save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers, "which means more enemy forces will be destroyed, and more missiles and aircraft used to attack Ukrainian cities will be shot down."

Zelensky also expressed the hope to lobby neighboring countries to help intercept Russian missiles fired at Ukraine. "This decision may be difficult for our partners, because they are always worried about unnecessary escalation," the Ukrainian president said. "We will try... I think we have a good option, which is the NATO-Ukraine Council... so that NATO countries can discuss with Ukraine the possibility of a small coalition of neighboring countries to shoot down enemy missiles."

Russian Ambassador: Possing a serious threat to national security

Deutsche Welle reported on the 4th that the Ukrainian army had previously relied on old Soviet-era fighter jets, and the number was far less than that of the Russian army. Several European countries had provided Kiev with the same type of aircraft, but as the war continued, it became increasingly difficult to sustain. The Washington Post said that since the early days of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Ukraine has been lobbying the West to provide F-16 fighter jets, but the United States has always refused. However, a year ago, Washington changed its position and allowed other countries to provide Ukraine with F-16s.

Reuters said it was not clear what missiles were equipped on the F-16s that have arrived in Ukraine. Analysts said that missiles with a longer range would allow these aircraft to have a greater impact on the battlefield. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) said that with the weapons they carry, the F-16 fighter jets could theoretically allow the Ukrainian Air Force to carry out more strikes deep in the occupied territories, and could even strike targets in Russia near the border between the two countries. The Russian newspaper "Newspaper" reported on the 4th that Ukrainian media had revealed the whereabouts of the newly arrived fighter jets - an F-16 was spotted over Odessa. Some military experts analyzed that this batch of F-16s carried medium-range and short-range missiles.Air-to-air missiles, this configuration should be used to counter drones and cruise missiles.

Russian Ambassador to the United States Antonov said in an interview with TASS on the 5th that although the United States has restricted the areas where the Ukrainian army can use F-16s, these portablenuclear weaponThe presence of the aircraft in Kiev poses a serious threat to Russia's national security.

However, the Washington Post reported that Ukrainian and Western officials said the fighters were unlikely to fly too close to the front line because there were too few of them and too many Russian air defense systems that could shoot them down. The Russian State Technology Group told TASS that the F-16s received by Kiev would eventually be destroyed, as they were completely unable to confront the Russian Su-35S. Russian presidential press secretary Peskov said the Russian military had ordered a reward for those who destroyed the F-16s.

The recent Russian attack on a Ukrainian airport has also raised questions about Kiev's ability to protect its F-16s from being attacked. In early July, Russia claimed to have destroyed five military aircraft in an artillery attack on an air base in central Ukraine, according to Agence France-Presse. After the incident, Ukrainian military journalists denounced senior Ukrainian air force officials, saying that the aircraft at the airport were parked in the open air without adequate protection. The Associated Press quoted a senior Ukrainian military officer as saying that Ukraine may keep some F-16s at foreign bases to protect them from Russian attacks. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously warned that Moscow may consider launching attacks on facilities in NATO countries if they store Ukrainian fighter jets.

Mali announces severance of diplomatic ties with Ukraine

In addition to hoping to gain more support from Western countries on the battlefield, Ukraine is also seeking support from countries in the "global south". According to a report on the website of the Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda on August 5, in order to win the support of countries in the "global south", Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba visited three African countries - Malawi, Zambia and Mauritius - from August 4 to 8.

However, the report said that just before Kuleba left, some African countries "reprimanded" Ukrainian diplomats. The reason was that a spokesman for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense's General Intelligence Directorate said that the Tuareg rebels who ambushed the Russian "Wagner Militia" in Mali not long ago received "necessary intelligence" from Ukraine, and Ukraine also helped train the rebels. Since Mali government soldiers also died in the ambush, Mali was naturally very angry. The Malian transitional government issued a communiqué on the evening of the 4th local time, announcing the immediate severance of diplomatic relations with Ukraine.

According to RIA Novosti on the 4th, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov said in an interview with Russian media that Russia may deploy nuclear missiles in response to the US announcement that it will deploy long-range strike systems in Germany starting in 2026. He said in a program on Russia 1 TV: "I confirm that if the Supreme Commander, if our military says that certain carriers need special ammunition, then it will be so, but they must make this decision based on comprehensive factors. I think this moment may come when it is needed." Ryabkov said that Russia should avoid escalating the situation, but is also considering taking measures that may lead to escalation.

According to the Russian Satellite News Agency on the 5th, Michael Kretschmer, the governor of the German state of Saxony, said in an interview published by the German newspaper Die Welt on the same day that Germany should hold a consultative referendum on the deployment of US missiles and the restoration of compulsory military service. He said: "I think it is wrong to deploy such weapons without any discussion... I want to ask the Germans about this."