The War Zone reported this on May 1 , citing photos and comments from the US Air Force.
Footage released online shows partially dismantled F-16s being loaded onto a Ukrainian An-124 Ruslan transport aircraft in Arizona. The destination is Poland, from where the components will likely be transported further to Ukraine.
Analysts contacted the US Air Force, where they received confirmation: these aircraft were indeed transferred to the Ukrainian side, but solely as a source of spare parts.
“The Ministry of the Air Force supported the initiative of European partners to transfer F-16s to Ukraine, providing for this purpose decommissioned and completely inoperable fighters removed from active use,” the response states.
According to the US military, these F-16s are missing key elements — such as engines, radars, and other critical systems — without which they cannot fly.
Analysts have attempted to identify specific fighter models from the released images. However, most of the aircraft in the photos were wrapped in protective coatings, making it impossible to accurately identify them. The only thing they could suggest was the presence of old-style IFF antennas, which indicate that these are probably outdated modifications of the F-16.
In early April, General Christopher Cavoli, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, announced the upcoming transfer of new F-16s to Ukraine. However, it is currently unknown whether he was referring to these retired models or other aircraft that could potentially be used in combat.
