Kyiv says F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots could start in July

FILE PHOTO: An F-16 fighter jet is seen at a maintenance hangar in Volkel, Netherlands June 9, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's defence minister said on Saturday that an international programme to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets could begin next month.

Kyiv, which has launched a counteroffensive against Russian forces, has repeatedly said it needs new Western aircraft to successfully counter Moscow's aerial dominance.