Kremlin says delivering F-16s to Ukraine wouldn’t alter situation on battlefield

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that possible deliveries of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine would not serve as a "panacea" for the Ukrainian armed forces, asserting that these aircraft would be destroyed and would not significantly alter the course of the conflict.

"These aircraft will arrive, but their numbers will gradually decrease… they will be shot down and destroyed. Naturally, these supplies will not significantly affect the dynamics of events on the front," Peskov told reporters during a news conference in Moscow.

When asked about rewards for Russian military personnel who shoot down F-16 planes, Peskov referenced earlier announcements.

On June 9, Sergey Shmotyev, the head of the Fores company, announced a 15 million rubles (approximately $169,000) reward for downing the first F-16 fighter jet that Western countries plan to supply to Ukraine.

Late Wednesday, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis posted on his official X account that "F-16s are in Ukraine. Another impossible thing became completely possible."