Belgium to deliver three F-16 jets to Ukraine by year’s end, Zelensky says

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday that Belgium will transfer three F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of the year, marking a new step in strengthening Kyiv’s air defences against the intensification of Russian attacks.

Zelensky made the announcement on the social network X, writing: “There is an important agreement with Belgium on the transfer of three F-16 aircraft by the end of this year,” adding that the procedure would be accelerated (“We will work to receive these aircraft through an accelerated procedure”), according to Reuters.

The Ukrainian president said Ukraine has already received urgent munitions deliveries for the F-16s from Belgium and from other Western allies, including Spain. The US-made F-16 fighter jets have become essential to Ukraine’s multi-layered air defence — they are used to shoot down the Shahed drones and cruise missiles with which Russia attacks Ukrainian cities.

“As Russia escalates aggression every day, we must increase our capabilities to shoot down aerial targets and to protect our people,” Zelensky said.

He thanked Belgium, prime minister Bart De Wever and the entire government for the “decisive steps in support of Ukraine,” in response to Russia’s brutal attacks on civilian lives.

Ukraine received its first F-16s in July 2024 from Denmark and the Netherlands; according to Defense Express, the Ukrainian fleet has reached around 39 F-16 aircraft as of June 2026. Belgium, for its part, had previously pledged the delivery of 30 F-16 jets by 2028.