Ukrainian pilots fly F-16 warplanes in combat for first time in fight against Russia

WASHINGTON – Ukraine has begun using F-16 warplanes in combat as Russia has mounted a massive aerial assault on civilian infrastructure, according to a U.S. official.

F-16s are the most sophisticated weapon the U.S.-led coalition has supplied Ukraine in its war with Russia. The White House and Pentagon had resisted offering them, fearing that they would be seen as an escalation by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

U.S. allies supplied the fighter jets, and Ukrainian pilots have been training for months in the United States to fly them. The first F-16s arrived in Ukraine early in August. The official who confirmed their use in combat was not authorized to speak publicly.

The jets are capable of defending Ukrainian airspace from Russian incursions, shooting down drones and missiles and providing support for troops on the ground.

More: Which nations have F-16 fighters?

In the last few days, Russia has been bombarding Ukrainian power stations with some of the largest barrages of missiles and glide bombs of the war that began in February 2022 with Russia’s unprovoked invasion.

The Biden administration agreed to supply Ukraine with F-16s last year after pleas from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukrainian pilots have been overmatched, flying older, Soviet-era warplanes.

The White House and Pentagon have repeatedly resisted requests for advanced weaponry over fears that their use on the battlefield would provoke Putin into widening the war. However, little changed after the Pentagon supplied with long-range, rocket artillery and its main battle tank, the Abrams .

Even the latest provocation, Ukraine's weekslong incursion into Russia , has provoked a sluggish response from the Kremlin.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukrainian pilots fly F-16 warplanes in combat for first time in fight against Russia