The difference in aircraft capabilities between Russian and Ukrainian jets is like comparing a Makarov pistol to a sniper rifle. Even after the arrival of F-16s, the situation has unfortunately not changed drastically in Kyiv’s favor due to the small number of jets, says Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Colonel Yuriy Ihnat, Ukrainska Pravda reports.

Modern Russian aviation retains air superiority—its aircraft can “see farther,” its missiles “shoot farther,” and all of this operates in tandem with a powerful air defense system.

“When we didn’t yet have F-16s, the ratio of our group to theirs was 1:10 in terms of our MiGs. And technologically, it’s like comparing a Makarov pistol to a sniper rifle. Despite that, our pilots still put up a fight,” he emphasizes.

To shift the balance, Ihnat says, Ukraine needs at least 200 modern combat aircraft. These should be multirole fighters, with the F-16 playing a key role due to its capability to destroy air, ground, and naval targets.

“An F-16 is a multirole aircraft. It can engage aerial, ground, and maritime targets,” he explains.

Ukraine is already receiving Western equipment, but as Ihnat stresses, it’s not the newest.

“Still, it’s better than the Soviet-era weapons we had,” he concludes, emphasizing the importance of aircraft armament and radar systems.

Earlier, Kyiv revealed that Ukraine’s F-16 and Mirage 2000 jets will operate within a unified digital network alongside NATO air defense systems, enabling real-time exchange of critical information.

This will ensure maximum coordination of actions in the air and significantly boost the country’s defensive potential.

Ukraine F-16 pilots get NATO-level battlefield vision through Link-16 military Wi-Fi protocol