The Pentagon said US allies have helped bolster Ukraine’s fleet of fighter aircraft by donating spare parts needed to make more of the jets operable as fighting with Russia heats up in the country’s Donbass region.
While Washington hasn’t been able to provide some of the Soviet-type weaponry that Kiev has requested, countries that have compatible gear in their inventories have stepped up to help, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday. In recent days, such aid has included fighter jet parts.
“They have received support to get some of their fixed-wing aircraft more operable again,” Kirby said. “Look, the proof’s in the pudding there. They right now have available to them more fixed-wing fighter aircraft than they did two weeks ago. That’s not by accident. That’s because other nations who have experience with those kinds of aircraft have been able to help them get more aircraft up and running.”
Kirby didn’t identify the countries involved in the parts shipments; nor did he disclose the number or type of jets that have been repaired and put back into service. The US and other NATO members have accelerated weapons shipments to Ukraine in recent weeks, citing alleged Russian attacks on civilians. Moscow has denied targeting civilians and accused Kiev of staging supposed war crimes to manipulate public opinion about the conflict.