Russia says it will shoot down all F-16 fighter jets promised to Ukraine in 20 days

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu said on Wednesday that going by statistics Russian air defense systems will shoot down all F-16 fighter jets promised to Ukraine in a matter of 20 days.

Speaking at a meeting in Moscow, Shoygu claimed a total of 1,400 air targets, including 37 Ukrainian planes and 6 ATACMS missiles, were shot down in air battles in October.

"I would like to emphasize that 37 aircraft (that were shot down by Russian air defense in the past month) is almost twice the number of F-16 aircraft that are guaranteed to Ukraine. That is, with such work of our air defense system, it is about 20 days of work," he said.

He said Ukraine has run out of reserves, its soldiers are demoralized, and despite the supply of new NATO weapons, its army has been retreating.

In August, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on visit to Denmark and the Netherlands, said with the US permission, several Western countries agreed to transfer F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.