Belgium will deliver three F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of the year, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X on Tuesday.
Zelenskyy said an agreement had been reached with Belgium on the transfer and that Ukraine would do everything possible to receive the aircraft through an accelerated procedure.
He added that Ukraine had already received urgent deliveries of munitions for the F-16s from Belgium and other countries, including Spain.
Zelenskyy said the deliveries were needed as Russia stepped up its attacks, arguing that Ukraine must strengthen its ability to shoot down aerial targets and protect civilians.
He thanked Belgium, Prime Minister Bart De Wever and the Belgian government for what he described as decisive steps to support Ukraine against Russia’s continued strikes.
Under the previous legislature, Belgium and Ukraine signed a security agreement that included the delivery of Belgium’s ageing F-16s. At the time, the plan envisaged the transfer of 30 aircraft by 2028.
During a visit to Kyiv last year, De Wever told the Ukrainian authorities that the aircraft would be delivered. In May, it emerged that Belgium’s entire F-16 fleet was included in the arrangement.
The operation depends on the gradual arrival of F-35s, which are due to replace Belgium’s F-16s.
At the end of last year, the minister asked the Defence Ministry to draw up a new timetable. According to that plan, confirmed in May this year by the office of Defence Minister Theo Francken, seven F-16s were to be transferred in 2026, including four decommissioned aircraft used to train Ukrainian technicians.
A further five aircraft are scheduled for delivery in 2027, 14 in 2028 and the remaining 27 in 2029.
The dates remain indicative, as the timetable must also take account of the Belgian Air Force’s operational requirements.
