According to The Wall Street Journal, Ukraine’s F-16 fleet is facing serious readiness problems caused by delays in maintenance.
The newspaper reported that most of the aircraft are currently unavailable, placing additional pressure on the country’s air defense system. If the situation does not improve soon, Kiev could exhaust the service life of its available fighters by the end of the year.
The problem is further complicated by an unusual imbalance: for the first time since the conflict began, Ukraine reportedly has more trained pilots than operational aircraft.
The Wall Street Journal also said the United States awarded Belgian company Sabena Aerospace Engineering a contract worth up to $235.5 million to maintain Ukrainian F-16s, with part of the work handled by subcontractors.
However, combat operations require significantly more intensive maintenance than peacetime use, while shortages of spare parts are making repairs even more difficult.
Belgium previously approved the transfer of three U.S.-made F-16 fighters to Kiev by the end of 2026. Vladimir Zelensky later said that other European countries, including Spain, had already sent urgent shipments of ammunition for the aircraft.