LONDON. July 11 (Interfax) - A group of 11 Western countries will begin training Ukrainian pilots to control F-16 fighter jets in August, Financial Times said on Tuesday.
"A coalition of 11 western countries will begin training Ukrainian pilots in modern U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets next month, the defense ministers of Denmark and Netherlands said on Tuesday," the newspaper said.
Training is to start in Denmark, and the parties will create a center for long-term training programs in Romania.
It emerged in late May that Denmark and the Netherlands intend to lead the European coalition to train Ukrainian servicemen to pilot F-16 aircraft. Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin also said in May that the defense ministers of the two countries would be working together with the United States and other allies to draft a training plan for pilots in the near future. Norway, Belgium, Portugal, and Poland have already offered their help with training of Ukrainian pilots, he said.