The F-16 fighter with Ukrainian markings, a photo of which was shown by our pilot with the call sign Phantom, obviously made the Russians nervous.
This was stated by the speaker of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Yuriy Ignat on the air of the One News telethon.
— The F-16, when it arrives in Ukraine, will become a tasty target for the invaders. Therefore, we must do everything so that the infrastructure that is being prepared, believe me, is adapted… Adaptation occurs, pilots learn. You saw our Phantom’s interview, and he took such an interesting photo with the signs. Here they are discussing whether they are real or not. Let's see what, and we've already seen what the Russians say, let them be a little nervous, — he emphasized.
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Regarding the safety guarantees for the F-16, which will be transferred to Ukraine, the speaker of the Armed Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces noted that these will already be Ukrainian aircraft, with markings, tridents, circles and tail numbers already applied.
To clarify whether he confirms that the plane in the photo, painted and marked according to Ukrainian standards, replied:
— As I say, I would like to leave this to the discretion of Russian publics.
On February 9, the Voice of America published an interview with a Ukrainian pilot with the call sign Phantom, who is training on American F-16 fighters.
It is illustrated with a photo of the pilot himself against the background of the plane, on which the coat of arms of Ukraine is clearly visible.
