Efrem Lukatsky/AP
Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets have been spotted along the frontline in the country’s southern Kherson region, according to a Russia-installed official.
The fourth-generation jets, provided by the West in recent weeks, were seen over the Ukrainian settlement of Kakhovka in the past two days, according to Pavlo Filipchuk, the Russian-backed head of the southern district.
Kakhovka sits on the largely Russian-controlled east bank of the Dnieper River, which has broadly marked the frontline for much of the full-scale war.
On Sunday, Ukraine officially confirmed that the Lockheed Martin-made aircraft had arrived in the country and were already operational with Kyiv’s air force.
“Since yesterday, F-16 [fighters] have been flying over our district,” Filipchuk said in remarks published by Tass, the Russian state news agency. “This is being done only to sow panic.”
This is a breaking story. More to follow.
