Ignat denies reports of foreign F-16 pilots operating in Ukraine
Yuriy Ignat, head of the communications department of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has denied reports by a French outlet claiming that foreign pilots are involved in protecting Ukraine’s airspace.
Ignat made the statement during a televised broadcast, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“Have you ever even heard of this outlet before? I personally only learned about it yesterday. So, some ‘interesting’ information appeared there and immediately spread through the information space. We didn’t rush to deny it right away,” Ignat said.
He explained that the circulation of the information was intended to observe the enemy’s reaction, and emphasized that Ukrainian pilots are delivering impressive results while operating aircraft provided by partner countries.
“Our pilots are showing results that genuinely surprise foreigners – how skillfully and effectively the aircraft types supplied to us by friendly nations can be used,” he stressed.
Ignat noted that Ukrainian pilots are operating under extremely challenging conditions due to Russia’s air defense systems.
“Today we are working in an environment saturated with Russian air defenses. Conditions where a pilot completes a mission and six Russian missiles immediately chase him from behind – this is the reality in which our Ukrainian pilots are operating,” he said.
He added that the French outlet’s claims about pilots with “Afghanistan combat experience” do not reflect the realities of the war in Ukraine.
“This is a completely different war,” Ignat said.
Ignat also assured that Ukrainian pilots cooperate effectively with international partners and have valuable experience of their own to share.
“We have a great deal to share with our partners in terms of tactics for operating under today’s conditions,” he concluded.
As previously reported, the French publication Intelligence Online claimed that an F-16 squadron had allegedly been formed in Ukraine, comprising Ukrainian, American, and Dutch pilots.
Photo: Facebook / Yuriy Ignat