US to provide weapons for Ukrainian F-16s

Footage widely circulating on social media appears to show the first F-16s donated to Kyiv take to Ukraine's skies after a drawn-out wait for the advanced fighter aircraft.

Half a dozen US-made F-16 jets supplied by the Netherlands are believed to have arrived in the country earlier this week, with grainy images supplied by Ukrainian outlet Dumskaya claiming to show one jet soaring through the sky on its first sortie.

For more than two years, Ukraine has pleaded with Western allies for the US-made fighter jets, long considered the crown jewel in the sprawling list of military hardware Kiev has sought from its Western backers.

However, missile mounts on these F-16s are not compatible with Soviet-era designs.