Russia says appearance of F-16 jets in Ukraine to be seen as ‘nuclear’ threat

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) – Russia said that the potential appearance of F-16 fighter jets in Ukraine will be seen by Moscow as a “nuclear” threat.

“The very fact of the appearance of such systems in the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be considered by us as a threat from the West in the nuclear sphere,” Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview late Wednesday with Russian online newspaper Lenta.

Lavrov said that the actions of the US and NATO constitute the risk of a direct armed conflict with Russia, which, he said, is “fraught with catastrophic consequences.” Transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine is an example of such actions, he added.

“We have informed the nuclear powers, the United States, Britain, and France, that Russia cannot ignore the ability of these aircraft to carry nuclear weapons. No assurances will help here,” Lavrov said.

Lavrov further said that the Russian military will not examine if each specific aircraft is equipped for the delivery of nuclear weapons or not, which is why it will consider the transfer of F-16s as a threat.

Western nations continue to support Ukraine with military and financial aid since the war began last year on Feb. 24. So far, they have been reluctant to send fighter jets to Kyiv.

However, Denmark and the Netherlands are playing a lead role among the Western countries, training the Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, tweeted US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on May 25.

- 'Kyiv responsible for blowing up Kakhovka dam'

Lavrov also touched upon the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into the Kakhovka dam explosion, claiming that Ukraine is asking the ICC to "investigate a crime that it itself committed."

"We have no doubt that Kyiv was responsible for blowing up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station. It appears that the Kyiv regime is asking the so-called International Criminal Court to investigate a crime that it itself committed," Lavrov said.

Lavrov further said Moscow had warned the UN Security Council about alleged plans by Ukraine to "destroy" the Kakhovka dam in October last year, but the UN's lack of response "reinforced the confidence of the Ukrainian authorities that they will get away with it."

"As for the response of international humanitarian organizations to what happened, just as in the case of the sabotage of the Togliatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline and the terrorist act against the Nord Streams, no principled assessments were heard from them," Lavrov added.

On June 11, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the country's prosecutor general sent a request to the ICC to investigate the Kakhovka dam explosion, and that the work has "already begun."

Both Moscow and Kyiv have blamed each other for carrying out strikes at the dam located in Ukraine's Kherson region on June 6, which led to the partial destruction of the barrier, resulting in flooding of nearby areas.