Ukrainian F-16 pilots say Russia’s battlefield operations show that its troops think NATO jets are of higher quality and worry about them

• A Ukrainian F-16 pilot said Russian troops tend to retreat when encountering NATO fighters.

• He said Ukraine tends to use its F-16 and Phantom deployments for cover missions or precision strikes.

• His comments are part of the first video interview with the F-16 pilot in Ukraine.

Ukrainian F-16 pilots said Moscow’s troops seemed to be particularly evading Western aircraft because they knew the fatality of the jets.

The Ukrainian Air Force posted his comments on Wednesday as part of the first video interview with the F-16 pilot. His face was covered, the Air Force said, retaining the pilot’s name and calling the sign for security purposes.

“With the arrival of Western equipment, the situation of performing fighter cover missions has improved,” said the Ukrainian pilot. “We now have different weapons, higher quality weapons. The Russians know that, too.”

He said Ukraine has been deploying its US F-16 combat falcon and French sea city rage 2000-5 in closer encounters.

“From their actions, we can see them starting to retreat. They are afraid to approach us.” “After all, there is a living person sitting there and not wanting to die.”

The pilot said Ukraine has been using its F-16 for tactical strikes, such as the “scalpel”, while its Soviet MIG-29, SU-24 and SU-27 have been suppressed and undermined targets such as the “Hammers and Sledgehammers”.

Ukraine’s Soviet aircraft were often sent to close bombing Russian targets, meaning his comrades had to “dangerly approach the frontline.”

He said Ukraine sent F-16 and Phantom to provide cover for its Soviet counterparts.

The pilot added that this attack had substantially changed the response of Moscow troops.

“They have a rough understanding of the technical characteristics of our weapons. They know where to retreat,” he said, adding that Ukraine has been working hard to capitalize on these gaps.

The pilot also said that the F-16 and Mirage provided Ukraine with “very, very precise” strike capabilities.

“At present, we can only strike at tactical depth,” he said of the Ukrainian pilot assigned to NATO fighters. “But these attacks are very precise.”

He added: “Our bombs can fly straight to someone’s windows if we want.”

The Russian Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment sent by business insiders.

The advantage of the F-16 over Ukrainian Soviet aircraft

The F-16 is an older design of Western standards – with over 50 years of service – but Ukraine still has a wide range of capabilities to launch air and land targets for its ability to carry and launch a variety of NATO-guided munitions.

These include the reported 50-mile range joint direct attack munitions – AIM-1220, a medium-sized air-launched missile that occupies other aviation targets. Ukraine has two types of weapons.

This capability means that the F-16 can be a multi-functional tool to fight other aircraft, conduct ground strikes or suppress Russian air defense.

Some of its Soviet aircraft (such as the MIG-29) are also multi-purpose fighters, but the F-16 has better radar systems, electronic jammers and range. In January, Ukraine said one of the pilots destroyed a single Russian missile record.

Meanwhile, the Radge Building in Dassault is another aircraft sent to Ukraine to pass by, although usually limited to the launch of French ammunition. For example, it can launch long-range storm shadow cruise missiles, but must stick to shorter mica missiles when dealing with air targets.

Kiev has been receiving F-16 from European allies since the summer of 2024 and received its first Mirages from France in February.

Ukraine is clutched to the number of jets it receives. Countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark have committed to delivering more than 100 F-16s to Ukraine, but the entire process can take months to years.

Nevertheless, Ukraine must be cautious about its precious Western jets. Russia’s surface-to-air missile defenses (such as the S-400) are powerful, and Ukrainian pilots are known to limit flight altitude or range to reduce contact with them.

Kiev had lost 16 F-16s when a senior pilot fought cruise missiles and drones near the capital in August.

Earlier this month, some pro-Kremlin telegraph channels said another F-16 was shot down in the Sumy area. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the report when speaking with reporters on March 19.

“The Russians are lying, they shot down something there, they didn’t shoot down anything,” he said.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine needs 128 F-16s to effectively fight Russia.

Recently, Ukraine’s F-16 plan was questioned when President Donald Trump stopped military aid in early March. Aid was finally restored when Ukraine agreed to agree to the terms of the U.S. brokerage with our ceasefire period.

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