- A Pentagon spokesman said it had sent spare parts and complete fighter jets to Ukraine.
- But the Ukrainian Air Force said it only received the spare parts.
- For weeks, Ukraine has been asking Western allies to send fighter jets.
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Ukraine said it only received spare parts for fighter jets, although the Pentagon said it sent both spare parts and complete aircraft to the country.
“Ukraine has not received new aircraft from partners!” the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
However, it said it received aircraft spare parts and components “to restore and repair the fleet of aircraft that are in the Air Force’s aeronautical armament, allowing more equipment to enter service”.
The statement came a day after Defense Department press secretary John F. Kirby told reporters that the Pentagon was sending both spare parts and complete aircraft to Ukraine.
“I would just say without going into what other nations are offering [Ukraine] have received additional platforms and parts to be able to increase their fleet size – their aircraft fleet size. platforms and parts,” he said.
When asked what he meant by “platforms,” Kirby said, “Platform in this case is an airplane. They have received additional planes and plane parts to help them get more planes in the air.”
Kirby declined to specify the number or type of aircraft delivered to the Ukrainian military.
The Department of Defense declined to comment to Insider. The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Last week, President Joe Biden announced an $800 million military aid package to Ukraine that included artillery shells and armored personnel carriers. He is expected to announce another aid package later this week, NBC News reported.
For weeks, Ukraine has been asking Western allies to send fighter jets. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the country on February 24.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a speech on Tuesday that the war would have been over if Ukraine had received more supplies from its allies.
“If we had access to all the weapons that we need that our partners have and that are comparable to the weapons of the Russian Federation, we would have already ended this war,” he said.