The first F-16 fighters from the Netherlands are already in Ukraine, - Minister of Defense.

Netherlands Minister of Defense Ruben Brekelmans reported the arrival of the first F-16 aircraft in Ukraine.

He wrote about this on the social network X.

For the first Time, I have an official message that the first Dutch F16s have been delivered to Ukraine. This is very necessary. During my visit to Kharkiv, I saw the consequences of Russian air attacks and the warning siren often sounded. The remaining 24 aircraft will arrive in the coming months.

— Ruben Brekelmans (@DefensieMin) October 6, 2024

According to him, the remaining 24 aircraft will arrive in the coming months.

During a surprise visit to Kyiv, Brekelmans also announced investments of 400 million euros in joint development of advanced drones with Ukraine. Half of this amount will be spent in the Netherlands, and the rest - in Ukraine and other countries.

"The war, of course, intensifies with each passing day, and Ukraine is creating more brigades, all of which need support, all of which need military equipment. We need to have this constant flow of support," Brekelmans said in an interview with Reuters in Kyiv.

According to him, the drone action plan will combine Ukrainian innovations and Dutch expertise to improve technologies used on the battlefield. The project will focus on different types of drones - reconnaissance, defensive, and offensive, as Ukraine needs more offensive drones to target military facilities.

The Netherlands has already provided Ukraine with military support totaling 10 billion euros since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, of which about 4 billion has been spent.

Ukraine's Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov discussed strengthening cooperation within the aviation coalition with Brekelmans, particularly regarding crew training and the supply of weapons and parts for F-16 aircraft.