A spare parts transfer facilitated by the United States and allied countries gave Ukraine access to 20 additional fighter jets, a senior Pentagon official said.
The surrender provides the Kiev air forces with much-needed firepower as they try to defend themselves against a new Russian attack.
“(Ukraine increased its fleet) by more than 20... thanks to the work that the United States and the international community have done to help them obtain the parts needed to put them to fly,” said the senior US defense official quoted by the Financial Times on Wednesday, adding that the country was in a position stronger than three weeks ago.
The transfer of aircraft spare parts is the latest example of a growing openness by the US and its allies to sending heavier weapons to Ukraine, at a time when Russia embarks on a new onslaught in the east and south of the country, after having failed to conquer Kiev.
Since the beginning of the war, which began on February 24, Ukraine has asked for more aircraft, especially MiG fighters that its pilots know how to handle. Three NATO countries - Poland, Bulgaria and Slovakia - have these planes in their fleets.
But NATO has been cautious, concerned that it may be considered to be taking a direct role in the fight against Moscow forces and the conflict spreading beyond Ukraine's borders.
Meanwhile, the senior defense official said that 14 US shells that Washington said last week would be delivered to Ukraine were arriving in the region, along with ammunition for them.
About 50 Ukrainians are being trained outside Ukraine to operate them, the official said.
“They will receive training on the use of the howitzers and then they will be able to return to Ukraine and train their colleagues,” the official said.
Last week, President Joe Biden announced an additional $800 million in lethal aid to Ukraine.
Volodymir Zelensky, president of Ukraine, said Wednesday that Western countries have been more willing to send heavier weapons in recent days. “It has become more fluid, in terms of weapons. We have smoother relations, the West has a more biased attitude towards Ukraine. It has become clearer when we will be able to obtain that military equipment.”
Meanwhile, John Kirby, the Pentagon's press secretary, retracted his statement on Tuesday that Ukraine had received fighter jets from an unidentified ally, after weeks of speculation that a neighboring country could provide Russian-made MiG-29s to strengthen the Ukrainian air force against forces sent by Moscow.
Although an unidentified country has offered aircraft to reinforce Kiev's fight against Moscow, Ukraine “has not received complete planes from another nation,” Kirby said.
“I was wrong,” the spokesman said of his statement on Tuesday.
“That said, Ukrainians have received, through the coordination and provision of the United States, enough spare parts and additional equipment so that they have been able to put more aircraft into operation in their fleet than they had even two or three weeks ago,” he said.
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