Putin threatens striking Western air bases hosting Ukrainian F-16s

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin scoffed at the possibility of his country launching an attack on a NATO member, calling it “sheer nonsense,” but warned that any Western air base hosting U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets that are slated for deployment in Ukraine would be a “legitimate target” for the Kremlin’s forces.

“Their statements about our alleged intention to attack Europe after Ukraine is sheer nonsense,” Putin said late Wednesday, referring to warnings in the U.S. and Western Europe that Russia could turn its sights on other countries unless it is stopped.

He noted that the U.S. defense budget is more than 10 times higher than Russia’s. “In view of that, are we going to wage a war against NATO? It’s ravings,” he told military pilots during a visit to an air base.

Ukraine is awaiting the delivery of F-16s, which will increase military pressure on Russia, from its Western partners . Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last year that 42 F-16s had been promised. Ukrainian pilots have been training in the West for months on how to fly the warplanes.

The F-16s require a high standard of runways and reinforced hangars to protect them from bombing attacks when they are on the ground. It is not clear how many Ukrainian air bases can meet those requirements, and Russia would be certain to quickly target a few that could accommodate them once the jets arrive.

Putin warned Ukraine’s Western allies against providing air bases in their countries from where the F-16s could launch sorties against the Kremlin’s forces. Those bases would become a “legitimate target,” he said.

“F-16s are capable of carrying nuclear weapons, and we will also need to take that into account while organizing our combat operations,” Putin added.

Military analysts have said the arrival of F-16s won’t be a game-changer in view of Russia’s massive air force and sophisticated air defense systems, though Ukrainian officials have welcomed them as an opportunity to hit back at Russia’s air dominance.

Putin insisted the F-16s “won’t change the situation on the battlefield.”

“We will destroy their warplanes just as we destroy their tanks, armored vehicles and other equipment, including multiple rocket launchers,” he said.

F-16s can be used to bolster Ukraine’s capability to target Russian facilities with long-range missile strikes. Ukraine’s counteroffensive last year came up short in part because it took place without air cover, placing its troops at the mercy of Russian aviation and artillery.

Russia has maintained air dominance in the war with Ukraine, though the provision of sophisticated Western air defense systems has forced Russian warplanes to avoid Ukrainian skies and launch attacks while remaining over Russian-controlled territory.

The Kremlin currently has a battlefield edge in weapons and troops, yielding recent incremental gains at points on the around 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, as Kyiv awaits more promised Western military support and mulls a broader mobilization.

Russia fired salvoes of drones and missiles overnight at southern and eastern regions of Ukraine, authorities said Thursday, injuring more than a dozen people as the Kremlin’s forces persevered with attritional attacks designed to wear down Ukrainian defenses.

Air defense systems intercepted 26 out of 28 Shahed drones, Ukraine’s air force said. Russian forces also launched five missiles overnight, it said.

The regular bombardment of Ukraine by the Kremlin’s forces during the war has recently gained momentum, with missile barrages of the capital Kyiv and strikes on energy facilities across the country. The attacks also aim to weaken Ukrainian morale and act as retribution for Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russian soil.

One of Russia’s goals is to “deplete Ukraine’s inventory of ground-based air defense,” according to a recent military assessment published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

That would erode some of Ukraine’s combat ability as it waits on pledged but delayed military support from the West, including ammunition for its artillery and air defenses.

“Kyiv is confronted by the threat that an attritional war in the air domain will increasingly favor Russia without adequate support from the U.S. and its allies,” the IISS said. “Ukraine’s ability to continue to counter Russian air threats and impose costs on the Russian Aerospace Forces remains important to the outcome of the war.”

Authorities in the Mykolaiv region, near the Black Sea in southern Ukraine, said 12 people were injured and six residential buildings were damaged in a Russian strike on the city on Wednesday afternoon with a ballistic missile.

In an overnight attack on the southern Ukraine region of Zaporizhzhia, Shahed drones struck a residential area, lightly injuring two women aged 72 and 74, according to regional Gov. Ivan Fedorov. Rescue services said seven buildings were damaged.

The Black Sea city of Odesa repelled three missile and drone attacks, officials said.

Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.

乌克兰基辅（美联社）——俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京对俄罗斯可能对北约成员国发动攻击的说法嗤之以鼻，称其“纯属无稽之谈”，但他警告说，任何驻扎着计划部署到乌克兰的美国制造的F-16战斗机的西方空军基地，都将成为克里姆林宫军队的“合法目标”。

普京周三晚间表示：“他们关于我们在乌克兰之后意图攻击欧洲的说法纯属无稽之谈。”他指的是美国和西欧发出的警告，即除非阻止俄罗斯，否则俄罗斯可能会将目标转向其他国家。

他指出，美国的国防预算是俄罗斯的十倍以上。“鉴于此，我们还要对北约发动战争吗？这简直是疯了。”他在访问一个空军基地时对军方飞行员说道。

乌克兰正等待西方伙伴交付F-16战斗机，这将加大对俄罗斯的军事压力。乌克兰总统泽连斯基去年曾表示，西方已承诺向乌克兰提供42架F-16战斗机。乌克兰飞行员已在西方接受了数月的战机驾驶训练。

F-16战机需要高标准的跑道和加固的机库，以保护其在地面停放时免受轰炸。目前尚不清楚乌克兰有多少空军基地能够满足这些要求，一旦F-16战机抵达，俄罗斯肯定会迅速锁定几个能够容纳它们的基地。

普京警告乌克兰的西方盟友，不要在其境内提供空军基地，以免F-16战机从这些基地对克里姆林宫的军队发动攻击。他表示，这些基地将成为“合法的攻击目标”。

普京补充说：“F-16战机能够携带核武器，我们在组织作战行动时也需要考虑到这一点。”

军事分析人士表示，鉴于俄罗斯庞大的空军和先进的防空系统，F-16 的到来不会改变战局，尽管乌克兰官员对它们的到来表示欢迎，认为这是一个反击俄罗斯空中优势的机会。

普京坚称，F-16战机“不会改变战场上的局势”。

他说：“我们将摧毁他们的战机，就像我们将摧毁他们的坦克、装甲车和其他装备（包括多管火箭炮）一样。”

F-16战机可以用来增强乌克兰使用远程导弹打击俄罗斯设施的能力。乌克兰去年的反攻之所以失败，部分原因是缺乏空中掩护，使其部队完全受制于俄罗斯的空军和炮兵。

尽管西方先进的防空系统迫使俄罗斯战机避开乌克兰领空，只能在俄罗斯控制的领土上空发动攻击，但俄罗斯在与乌克兰的战争中仍然保持着空中优势。

克里姆林宫目前在武器和兵力方面拥有战场优势，在长达约 1000 公里（620 英里）的前线各点取得了一些进展，基辅正在等待西方承诺的更多军事支持，并考虑进行更广泛的动员。

乌克兰当局周四表示，俄罗斯连夜向乌克兰南部和东部地区发射了多枚无人机和导弹，造成十几人受伤。克里姆林宫的军队持续发动消耗战，旨在削弱乌克兰的防御力量。

乌克兰空军称，防空系统拦截了28架“沙赫德”无人机中的26架。乌克兰空军还表示，俄罗斯军队连夜发射了5枚导弹。

战争期间，克里姆林宫军队对乌克兰的定期轰炸近期愈演愈烈，包括对首都基辅的导弹袭击以及对全国各地能源设施的打击。这些袭击旨在削弱乌克兰的士气，并对乌克兰此前对俄罗斯领土的远程打击进行报复。

根据国际战略研究所最近发​​布的一份军事评估报告，俄罗斯的目标之一是“耗尽乌克兰的地面防空力量”。

这将削弱乌克兰的部分作战能力，因为乌克兰仍在等待西方承诺但迟迟未到的军事援助，包括其火炮和防空系统的弹药。

国际战略研究所表示：“基辅面临的威胁是，如果没有美国及其盟友的充分支持，空中领域的消耗战将越来越有利于俄罗斯。乌克兰能否继续反制俄罗斯的空中威胁并给俄罗斯空天军造成损失，对战争的最终结果仍然至关重要。”

乌克兰南部黑海附近的尼古拉耶夫地区当局称，周三下午，俄罗斯用弹道导弹袭击了该市，造成 12 人受伤，6 栋居民楼受损。

据乌克兰南部扎波罗热州州长伊万·费多罗夫称，在夜间发生的一起袭击事件中，沙赫德无人机袭击了该地区的一处居民区，造成两名分别为72岁和74岁​​的妇女轻伤。救援部门表示，七栋建筑物受损。

官员称，黑海城市敖德萨击退了三次导弹和无人机袭击。

哈顿从葡萄牙里斯本报道。