Ukraine says coveted F-16s 'four or five times' better than its Soviet jets

FILE PHOTO: Belgium Air Force F-16 fighter flies over the Amari military airfield, Estonia February 1, 2022. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File Photo

KYIV (Reuters) - A top Ukrainian air commander said Ukraine was in dire need of F-16 fighter jets, which he described on Thursday as "four or five times" more effective than the Soviet-era planes currently used by Ukraine.

Serhiy Holubtsov, one of the most senior commanders in the Air Force, said that while donations of Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets by allies were an "important step," the planes did not fully meet Ukraine's battlefield requirements.