In Romania, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Ukrainian service members training at the European F-16 Training Center.
At this center, Ukrainian pilots undergo different stages of training, ranging from theoretical instruction and simulator training to real flight sorties on F-16s of the same variant that Ukraine uses to defend its skies. The President was briefed in detail on each stage of pilot training.
In the hangar where the F-16s are maintained, the President spoke with the Ukrainian service members about the specifics and conditions of their training program. They also discussed the challenges our pilots face and how the state can help address them.
The training center opened in November 2023. In addition to pilot training, it enhances operational interoperability among allies and helps establish common NATO operational standards. The first Ukrainian pilots began their program here in September 2024, and some of them are already carrying out combat missions to repel Russian aggression.
Ukraine is grateful to the United States for the opportunity to strengthen the protection of its skies with American fighter jets. We are also thankful to European countries – including Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway – that have already transferred these aircraft to Ukraine.
