Air Force of Ukraine
The Ukrainian Air Force (Повітряні Сили Збройних Сил України) is a separate branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, responsible for air defence and aviation support. Since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 it has been central to countering aerial attacks and integrating Western-supplied aircraft, including F-16 fighters donated by allies. The current commander is Lieutenant General Anatolii Kryvonozhko.
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More than half of Ukraine's F-16s grounded by Belgian maintenance delays
A Wall Street Journal report says more than half of Ukraine's F-16 fighters are non-combat-ready because phased technical inspections carried out by Belgian contractor Sabena Aerospace Engineering under a U.S. contract are taking far longer than in the United States. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed to the Financial Times that roughly half the fleet is in long-term repair in Europe and said Ukraine wants to move most of that maintenance onto its own territory with Western support. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesman publicly disputed the 'catastrophically low' readiness framing, saying turnaround times are actually shortening.