Russia has repeatedly attacked military airfields where Ukraine plans to deploy F-16 aircraft. This raises the question of where the Western fighters will take off from.
Attacks on Airfields Planned for F-16 Deployment
On the night of May 31 and early morning of June 1, Russian forces carried out a series of attacks on military and energy facilities in major Ukrainian cities, including the city of Stryi in the Lviv region. Initial reports indicate that Russian forces carried out four attacks in the area.
The first attack targeted the Stryi airbase, which is believed to be scheduled to receive F-16 fighter jets supplied by the West to Ukraine.
The second attack targeted the warehouses of an engineering battalion. According to reports, after the warehouses were attacked, a powerful explosion occurred, which could be heard from a distance of several kilometers.
The third target was a car repair factory. Underground sources revealed that the factory was actually a storage facility for military equipment supplied by the West to Ukraine.
The fourth target was the Lviv battalion of the radio engineering air defense brigade located near the airport. This battalion plays an important role in providing information to Ukrainian air defense forces in the area.
This is the second time the Russian military has attacked a military airfield believed to be intended for Ukraine’s F-16s. The previous attack took place on May 8, causing extensive damage to the Stryi airbase.
Last week, Russia attacked the Starokonstantinov airfield in the Khmelnytsky region. Starokonstantinov airfield is also one of the key Ukrainian bases that could deploy F-16 fighter jets. The airfield area also includes a bomb depot, a training ground, and an electrical substation.
Where Will the F-16s Take Off From?
Ukraine expects to receive its first F-16 fighters from allies in the summer. These fighter jets are believed to play a key role in Ukraine’s defense against Russian attacks.
Among the countries that have pledged to provide F-16s to Ukraine, two countries have already approved Kiev’s use of this fighter model to carry out attacks on targets inside Russian territory.
On May 30, when asked by a reporter whether Denmark would allow Ukraine to use Danish-supplied F-16 fighters to attack targets on Russian territory, Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen replied: “The short answer is yes. This is not a new position. It is part of the aid package. When discussing with the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Danish Parliament, we made it clear from the outset that attacking military targets on Russian territory is a measure of self-defense for Ukraine.”
The Netherlands also does not object to Ukraine using Dutch-supplied F-16s to attack targets inside Russian territory as a self-defense measure.
“There is no limit on the use of weapons for self-defense. Copenhagen considers this ‘in line with the rules,'” Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot commented on June 1.
Ukraine is currently investing significant resources in building the necessary infrastructure such as airports, high-standard runways, radar stations, maintenance facilities, and missile storage… Kiev has even built bunkers and underground storage facilities at airports to protect F-16 fighters.
Retired Russian Colonel Viktor Litovkin has warned that if Ukraine builds airfields and support facilities for Western-supplied F-16 aircraft, Moscow will target and destroy those facilities. He added that Russia would wait cautiously until construction was sufficiently advanced to carry out attacks.
Russia appears to have accurate intelligence on the location of new F-16 runways being built by Ukraine. Moscow is known for its advanced space surveillance capabilities, which it can use to its advantage.
This raises an important question: if Russia destroys all the runways under construction, where will Ukraine’s F-16s take off from?
In the more than two years since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Western countries have repeatedly crossed “red lines” in providing aid to Kiev. Tanks as well as long-range missiles, intelligence, fighter jets and even the use of Western weapons against targets inside Russian territory were once taboo, but all these barriers have been broken one by one.
According to Bulgarian Military, the next taboo could be allowing Ukrainian-operated F-16s to take off from Romania, Poland or the Baltic states. Such a scenario could push NATO into a direct conflict with Russia – something the West has always wanted to avoid.
Russia has declared that the use of F-16s from the territory of these NATO member states would be considered by Moscow as direct involvement in the conflict in Ukraine and Russia would be forced to take retaliatory measures.
