Belgium Expands Support: F-16 Ammunition Against Shaheds
According to RBC-Ukraine, citing the Ministry of Defense press service, Belgium plans to transfer ammunition for F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine during 2026, which is used to destroy Shahed drones. The corresponding agreement was recorded during a phone call between Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken, during which the parties synchronized their positions on military aid.
Defense Priorities Through the End of 2026
During the talks, the ministers defined Ukraine's defense priorities through the end of 2026 and discussed scaling up support next year. Separately, the parties considered prospects for expanding cooperation in the drone sector and joint industrial projects. As noted, Belgium is fulfilling its assumed role in repairing F-16 aircraft and supplying spare parts for them. Ukraine, in turn, is counting on the delivery of additional F-16 ammunition, primarily to counter jet-powered drones.
Contradictory Data
The original RBC-Ukraine text emphasizes the transfer of ammunition and spare parts for F-16s and does not provide an exact number of aircraft being transferred. At the same time, UNIAN, citing the defense minister, reports that Belgium will hand over seven F-16 fighters to Ukraine this year, and the glavred.info portal also mentions the delivery of new F-16s. Thus, the specific figure of "seven aircraft" relies on a single source and is not confirmed in the base RBC text, whereas the thesis about ammunition and the coordination of priorities through the end of 2026 is also supported by UNN data. Until a single official confirmation emerges, both stories — the supply of ammunition and the transfer of specific aircraft — should be regarded as mutually complementary but not fully reconciled on the figures.
Context: New Russian Drone Tactics
The Russian side has substantially changed its approaches to manufacturing and deploying drones in attacks on Ukrainian cities, and the intensity of their use has grown several times over. As the Center for Countering Disinformation previously reported, Russia is launching jet-powered drones at Kyiv in waves. The main goal of this tactic is to exhaust the air defense system and paralyze the capital's daily life through constant air-raid alerts. Over the past weeks, the number of jet-powered Shaheds that Russia launches at Ukraine per month has sharply increased.
Industrial Tempo and Logistics of Deliveries
According to available data, Russian industry is operating at an accelerated pace: jet-powered drones are launched at Ukraine almost straight from the assembly line, without prolonged storage in warehouses. This multiplies the load on air defense systems and raises the importance of the fighter component of air defense, including F-16s, for which Belgium is preparing additional ammunition and keeping the fleet in working order through repairs and spare parts supply.
