Ukraine may lose all of its serviceable F-16 fighter jets by the end of the year. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
According to the publication, more than half of the F-16 jets in Ukraine are currently not in use due to technical maintenance.
"If the operation and repair of the aircraft continue at the current pace, the remaining aircraft may also become unfit for use by the end of the year," the magazine wrote.
In Belgium, repairs of fighter jets take up to 40 weeks.
Retired U.S. Air Force officer David Deptula said that Ukraine's inability to promptly maintain its F-16 jets is turning into a crisis in the air defense sector.
Earlier, on September 17, The Economist magazine reported that the F-16 and MiG-29 fighters, which Ukraine uses against Russian drones with jet engines, are often under repair abroad.