Ukraine and Belgium agree on transfer of three F-16 jets by year-end
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on 29 September that Ukraine and Belgium had reached an agreement to transfer three F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of the year under an expedited procedure. Zelensky said Ukraine had already received ammunition for F-16s from Belgium and other countries including Spain, and thanked Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and the Belgian government for their support.
Key points
- Ukraine and Belgium agreed to transfer three F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of the year.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the agreement on 29 September via Telegram and other social media.
- The jets will be delivered under an accelerated procedure.
- Zelensky said Ukraine has already received urgent F-16 ammunition shipments from Belgium and other countries, including Spain.
- Zelensky thanked Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and the Belgian government for their response to Russian strikes.
- Zelensky said Russia is escalating daily and Ukraine needs additional aircraft to shoot down aerial targets and protect people.
- Some sources frame the delivery deadline as the end of 2026, others as the end of 2027.
Why it matters
The agreement provides a concrete European contribution of Western combat aircraft at a moment of escalating Russian strikes, adding operational F-16 capacity to Ukraine's air defences and signalling continued Belgian support.
What happened
On 29 September, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced via Telegram and other social media that Ukraine and Belgium had reached an agreement on the transfer of three F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of the year. He said the jets would be received under an accelerated procedure. Zelensky noted that Ukraine had already received urgent shipments of ammunition for F-16s from Belgium and other countries, naming Spain specifically. He thanked Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and the Belgian government for their decisive support in response to Russian strikes, and argued the additional aircraft are needed because Russia is escalating daily and Ukraine must be able to shoot down aerial targets and protect people. Some outlets reported the deadline as the end of 2026, others as the end of 2027.
Where reporting differs
Sources disagree on the deadline for delivery of the three F-16s: a majority of Ukrainian outlets (hromadske, Інтерфакс-Україна, НВ, ZN.UA, ЛІГА.net LB.ua, Радіо Свобода, Бабель, Укрінформ, LIGA.net, Громадське радіо, Суспільне Новини, Європейська правда, Новинарня) refer to the end of 2026 or simply "by the end of this year," while at least one source (Новинарня) frames the deadline as the end of 2027. Azerbaijan's APA outlet also varies between the two framings.
Background
Belgium had previously pledged 30 F-16s but had not transferred any of them as of the beginning of 2026, attributing the delay to postponed timelines for delivery of new F-35s. In June, Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken said Belgium planned to transfer seven F-16s to Ukraine this year, four for spare parts and three for active use, and that he would propose transferring the remainder in coming years.