Ukraine to Get Its First F-16 Jets in June-July

FILE PHOTO: A general view of an F-16, on the day of a visit from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in Eindhoven, Netherlands, August 20, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A general view of an F-16, on the day of a visit from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in Eindhoven, Netherlands, August 20, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo
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Ukraine to Get Its First F-16 Jets in June-July

FILE PHOTO: A general view of an F-16, on the day of a visit from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in Eindhoven, Netherlands, August 20, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A general view of an F-16, on the day of a visit from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in Eindhoven, Netherlands, August 20, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo

Kyiv expects to receive its first F-16 fighter jets from its Western allies in June-July, a high-ranking Ukrainian military source said on Friday.

Ukraine has sought US-made F-16 fighter jets to help it counter Russia's air superiority for more than two years of war. The source did not say which country would supply the jets.

So far, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium have committed to sending F-16s to Ukraine, according to Reuters.

Illya Yevlash, spokesperson for the air force, said this week that some Ukrainian pilots were completing their training to fly the warplanes.

The Ukrainian military has had to rely on a relatively small fleet of Soviet-era jets as it has fought to hold back Russia's full-scale February 2022 invasion.

With Russian forces slowly advancing in the eastern Donbas region and mounting a fresh assault in the northeast near the city of Kharkiv, Ukrainian officials see the addition of the F-16 as a vital upgrade for its Air Force.



Sri Lanka Closes Schools as Floods Hammer the Capital

A man reaches for a safe place as it rains in a flooded street in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
A man reaches for a safe place as it rains in a flooded street in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
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Sri Lanka Closes Schools as Floods Hammer the Capital

A man reaches for a safe place as it rains in a flooded street in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
A man reaches for a safe place as it rains in a flooded street in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka closed schools in the capital Colombo and suburbs on Monday as heavy rains triggered floods in many parts of the island nation.
Heavy downpours over the weekend have wreaked havoc in many parts of the country, flooding homes, fields and roads. Three people drowned, while some 134,000 people have been affected by flooding, according to the country's Disaster Management Center.
The center said rains and floods have damaged 240 houses and nearly 7,000 people have been evacuated. Authorities have cut electricity in some areas as a precaution.
Navy and army troops have been deployed to rescue victims and provide food and other essentials, The Associated Press said.
Local television channels showed flooded towns in the suburbs of Colombo. In some areas, waters reached the roofs of houses and shops.
Sri Lanka has been grappling with severe weather conditions since May, mostly caused by heavy monsoon rains. In June, 16 people died due to floods and mudslides.