Ukraine has reportedly deployed 16 F-16 fighter jets to the Minsk Mazowiecki air base in Poland, with seven of the jets, repainted in Ukrainian colors, flying across the border to counter Russian drones in western Ukraine.

Earlier, Poland provided its infrastructure for training Ukrainian pilots on F-16. Polish Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak stated that within the framework of the coalition of fighters, the Polish side will provide the appropriate opportunities for training Ukrainian pilots.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also noted that the Polish government had made a decision that would speed up the delivery of F-16 fighters to Ukraine. However, the details of this decision were not disclosed.

The deployment of Ukrainian F-16s to Poland's Minsk Mazowiecki airbase highlights the close defense cooperation between the two countries. However, such use of Polish territory for Ukrainian military operations could lead to a military response from Russia.

At the same time, the use of Polish infrastructure for basing Ukrainian F-16s may be connected with the need to ensure the safety of the aircraft and their effective use in the context of the ongoing conflict.