F‑16 deliveries to Ukraine spark controversy and mixed reports
- These planes will appear and gradually their number will decrease; they will be shot down and destroyed, said Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian dictator.
10:31 AM EDT, August 1, 2024
Many of the information provided by Russian media or government representatives is an element of propaganda. Such reports are part of the information war waged by the Russian Federation.
Kremlin responds to reports about F-16s
The first comment from Russia has emerged regarding the F-16 fighters, which, according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, are already in Ukraine.
- These planes will appear and gradually their number will decrease; they will be shot down and destroyed. These deliveries will not be able to significantly influence the dynamics of events at the front, said Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
Lithuania confirms: "They are in Ukraine"
On Wednesday, reports from Western agencies emerged that the first fighters had already reached Ukraine. Late in the evening, this was confirmed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania. "F-16s in Ukraine. Another impossible thing turned out to be totally possible," wrote Gabrielius Landsbergis on platform X.
However, on Thursday, a counselor to President Zelensky stated that all information appearing about the F-16s "is speculation."
-I see that this is displayed as an informational speculation. I would like there to be less of it. However, you should always pay attention to official comments... I advise you to wait for official confirmation from one side or the other, said Mykhailo Podolyak.
Surprising voice from Kyiv
The Interfax-Ukraine agency wrote that, according to Podolyak, Western media materials about the delivery of F-16s to Ukraine do not include a single reference to official sources. The counselor emphasized that such information can only be provided by Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, or the Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi.
"The adviser to the head of the President's Office emphasized that the Ukrainian side will not say "yes" or "no" regarding this information, since the aviation component is "a factor of essential survival." According to him, during the war, it is inappropriate to divulge such information, since it can affect both the battlefield and society's perception of the problems faced by the army in confrontation with the enemy," writes Interfax-Ukraine.
