If Ukraine uses airports in Poland, Romania and Slovakia to send F-16 fighter jets in combat missions, this will be considered by Russia as an intervention by these three respective countries in the conflict, Konstantin Gavrilov, the head of the Russian delegation, said during the OSCE plenary session for military security and arms control in Vienna. 

"We strongly warn that the use of these fighters from the territory of these NATO member countries will be considered by Moscow as their participation in the conflict in Ukraine and will force Russia to respond," Gavrilov said, according to Nova.news.

Recently, Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that there is a "high probability" that the fighter jets transferred by the NATO states to the Ukrainian army will carry out the flights from the air bases in Poland, Slovakia and Romania, given the degree of destruction of airfields in Ukraine.

Romania will host training centres for piloting F-16 aircraft, open for NATO partner countries like Ukraine.

"Together with other allies and the company that designs this fighter plane, a regional hub will be created in Romania for the training of pilots who will fly these planes. Romanian pilots who operate F-16 aircraft will be trained here, and the facility will later be opened to the participation of pilots from allied and NATO partner states, including Ukraine," the Presidential Administration said during the July 6 meeting of the Supreme National Defense Council (CSAT).

Romania inaugurated in November 2023 the first training centre for Ukrainian pilots, preparing them to operate F-16 fighter jets. This facility in Calarasi County will also be used for the training of Romanian pilots who switch to more modern F-16 aircraft.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Ivan Cholakov | Dreamstime.com)