Ukraine’s F-16s Can Strike Inside Russia, NATO Ally Confirms

Ukraine will be able to use F-16 fighter jets donated by the Netherlands to strike targets inside Russia, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren has said, as Kyiv awaits the arrival of 24 of the American-made aircraft from the NATO ally.

“There is not” a Belgian-style restriction on hitting targets within Russian borders, Ollongren told Politico on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

“We are applying the same principle that we have applied to every other delivery of capabilities, which is once we hand it over to Ukraine, it’s theirs to use,” she said.

“We only ask them to comply to international law and the right to self-defense as stated in the U.N. Charter, which means they use it to target the military goals they need to target in their self-defense.”

This is a breaking news story and will be updated shortly.