Ukraine Has an F-16 Emergency
Maintenance delays in Belgium are grounding its best defense against Russia’s jet drones. By The Editorial Board The Wall Street Journal Sept. 29, 2026 5:33 pm ET Original article contains links. A Ukrainian fighter pilot after shooting down a Russian drone. @jeff1830/instagram Ukraine’s air-defense vulnerabilities are becoming critical, and a shortage of Patriot interceptors isn’t the only problem. F-16 fighter jets are the best way to counter Russia’s new jet-powered drones that are now pounding Ukrainian civilians night and often day. But Ukraine relies on Western help to maintain its fighter-jet fleet, and delays have left most of its F-16 fleet out of commission. So far this month Russia has launched about 2,000 jet-powered drones at Ukraine, compared to some 350 in June. These new drones fly up to 375 miles an hour—too fast for the interceptor drones Ukraine has used to counter earlier Shahed models. Ukraine intercepts 55% of Russia’s jet dr...