The Independent: the supply of F-16s to the Ukrainian army could play into the hands of Vladimir Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin could benefit from the delivery of F-16 fighters to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, since the destruction of these aircraft would further strengthen Russia's image, The Independent notes.
The authors of the article believe that the head of the Russian state «will enjoy the image that the destruction of the F-16 will create.»
Russia, as the publication recalls, has several hundred combat fighters at its disposal, including the Su-35. It is this that The Independent defines as one of the main threats to the F-16s supplied by NATO.
The publication points out that Russia's air defense systems are effective enough to shoot down American aircraft.
The day before, Bloomberg reported that the first «small» batch of American F-16 fighters transferred by NATO countries arrived in Ukraine.