The head of the Russian State Duma’s defence committee, Andrey Kartapolov, has said that if F-16 jets are used by Kiev to strike Russian territory from airfields outside Ukraine, both aircraft and their locations will become a legitimate target for the Russian Army.
“If they are not used for their direct purpose, they will not be (a legitimate target for the Russian Armed Forces. – ed.), but if they take part in combat sorties, they certainly will be. Including the airfields where they are based, with all the ensuing consequences,” the parliamentarian said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
The head of the Russian State Duma’s Defence Committee stressed that in another case, if the US planes will be located on Western airfields, technically serviced and equipped for subsequent delivery to Ukraine, then there are no claims to “former partners”.
“But if they take off from airfields of some country, enter Ukrainian airspace, launch missiles and return there, then this is a legitimate target. As for (the ability – ed.) to shoot down, we can shoot down anyone and anywhere”, – stated Andrey Kartapolov.
We shall remind you that earlier the chief of aviation of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Sergey Golubtsov, said that Kiev would leave some of the F-16 fighter jets abroad so that they would not become targets for strikes by the Russian Army and would be used in training pilots.
