Skip to content
Edit post

Netherlands to send last of pledged 24 F-16s to Ukraine on May 26

by Martin Fornusek May 26, 2025 8:40 AM  (Updated: ) 2 min read
The first General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons received by Ukraine flew on the Day of the Ukrainian Air Force on Aug. 4, 2024, in Unspecified, Ukraine. (Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include confirmation from the Dutch Defense Ministry.

The Netherlands will send the remainder of the 24 F-16 fighter jets it had promised to Ukraine on May 26, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said on the Dutch broadcaster WNL on May 25.

Ukraine received its first F-16 jets from the Netherlands and Denmark in 2024. The U.S.-made fourth-generation fighter jets have been deployed to bolster Ukraine's sky shield and help repel Russian aerial attacks.

"We are also training pilots and technicians and sharing our military doctrines, so that Ukraine can build a modern armed force that matches that of the NATO member states," Brekelmans said on air.

Later in the day, the Dutch Defense Ministry confirmed the shipment of the final batch of 24 F-16 fighter jets bound for Ukraine.

According to a statement on the ministry's official website, "The aircraft left Volkel Air Base today for Belgium, where they are being prepared for delivery (to Ukraine)."

Apart from the Dutch aircraft, Ukraine has been promised 19 F-16s by Denmark, 30 by Belgium, and at least six from Norway. European nations have agreed to supply aircraft to help modernize the Ukrainian Air Force as they themselves transition to more advanced F-35 fighter jets.

The F-16 aircraft are being provided within the framework of the international fighter jet coalition, with some partners contributing training and technical support.

Oslo announced earlier this month that it would complete the delivery of its planes by the end of 2025. Similarly, the Belgian government said it would provide its aircraft sooner than the 2028 deadline.

Ukraine has confirmed that it has lost three of its F-16 jets in action.

Russia pushes forward in Donetsk Oblast, threatening Ukrainian pocket around Toretsk
Russian troops have upped the intensity of their Donetsk Oblast offensive in recent weeks, increasingly pressuring a relatively large Ukrainian pocket between some of the last cities in the region. An unsettling situation for Ukrainian troops is now unfolding south of the town of Kostiantynivka, which has long served as

News Feed

1:35 AM  (Updated: )

Russian mass attack hits Kyiv, at least 18 injured.

Russian drones and ballistic missiles targeted the capital overnight, damaging dormitories, residential buildings, and a kindergarten. Emergency responders are searching for more victims who may be trapped beneath the rubble.
6:57 PM

Russia hands over bodies of its own soldiers in recent exchange, Kyiv says.

"This could have been done by the Russians on purpose to increase the number of bodies transferred and to load our (forensic) experts with work, adding to all this cynical information pressure. Or it could be their usual negligent attitude toward their own people. In any case, we also identify these bodies," Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.
7:09 AM

EU leaders call for tougher sanctions on Russia at G7 summit.

"To achieve peaceful strength we must put more pressure on Russia to secure a real ceasefire, to bring Russia to the negotiating table, and to end this war. Sanctions are critical to that end," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.