Kyiv will not officially confirm F-16s are operational as the ‘fog of war is very useful’

F-16 fighter jets have been seen over the skies of Ukraine in Lviv on Wednesday following reports the warplanes are operational.

Media channels showed footage of what appears to be an F-16 flying above Lviv’s Rynok Square and another sighting was seen over Odesa, the Kyiv Post reports.

Bloomberg reported Ukraine has finally received their first batch of the US fourth generation F-16s and Lithuania’s Foreign Minister and a US official informed Reuters the multi-role jets are operational.

🚨 First sighting of F-16 in Ukraine. Likely Odessa region. pic.twitter.com/5yj29SIyLR

— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) July 31, 2024

“F-16s in Ukraine. Another impossible thing turned out to be totally possible,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on X.

The Times reported that six F-16 fighter jets have arrived in Ukraine from the Netherlands and more will come.

The cat is out of the bag and it seems that they wanted us to know.

F-16 over Lviv, Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/ps2srtaPxn

— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) July 31, 2024

Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the head of the Office of the President said, “Ukraine will not officially confirm the arrival of F-16. In this matter, ‘the fog of war is very useful’.”

The F-16 fighter jets are equipped to carry bombs, rockets, missiles and can also carry nuclear weapons and are fitted with a 20mm cannon.

Each fighter jet is worth £60 million and is most likely fitted with missiles supplied by the UK.