Ukraine has refuted claims that half of its F-16 fighter jets are grounded due to maintenance problems, though it admitted that keeping the older aircraft operational is a "challenge." According to Ukrainian Foreign Affairs spokesperson Georgiy Tikhyy, reports suggesting a low availability rate of the aircraft and long delays in maintenance are "simply false." However, the American newspaper Wall Street Journal reported that the "majority" of Ukrainian F-16s used to counter Russian aerial attacks were currently out of service, awaiting a mandatory inspection after 300 flight hours. This inspection was supposed to be carried out by a Belgian company, Sabena Aerospace Engineering. Sabena denied these claims, expressing surprise at "the incorrect information reporting significant delays in this critical maintenance program." Tikhyy acknowledged that maintaining the F-16s is a "challenge," particularly because they are older models. Some of their "components" are "no longer manufactured" and "increasingly difficult to obtain." Despite this, he stated that Ukraine’s "industrial partners" continue to deliver revised aircraft and are doing so at an increasing rate. He urged people not to let "disinformation weaken this vital support." These F-16s will be "the most necessary" for Ukraine during the winter, as the country anticipates a new intensification of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Belgium would deliver three additional F-16s to Kiev by the end of the year. For months, Ukraine has pushed its Western allies to provide F-16s, of which it received its first batch in mid-2024. However, Kiev has not received many of these jets and has already lost at least four in combat since 2024, according to official announcements. Issues with the training of Ukrainian pilots have also been reported. These aircraft are part of the entire arsenal used by Ukraine to shoot down the drones and missiles attacking the country every day. As reports indicate that many Ukrainian F-16s are immobilized for maintenance reasons, Kiev assures that its fleet continues to be used on the front. "Ukraine is intensively using its fleet of F-16s under difficult conditions," said the spokesperson for Ukrainian diplomacy.