FACT CHECK: Did The US And NATO Send Fighter Jets To Ukraine?

A video shared on Facebook claims the U.S. and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) sent hundreds of fighter jets to Ukraine.

Verdict: False

There is no evidence that NATO or the U.S. has recently sent any fighter jets to Ukraine.

Fact Check:

The U.S. and other NATO countries have provided Ukraine with €80.7 billion ($82.7 Billion USD) in military aid to help fend off the Russian invasion, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. The U.S. recently announced an additional $270 million security package that included High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and Phoenix Ghost drones, The Washington Post reported.

A video shared on Facebook more than 36,000 times claims the U.S. and NATO also sent hundreds of fighter jets to Ukraine. “Finally!!! US and NATO Sends Hundreds of F-16, A-10 Warthog, And F-15 Fighter Jets to Ukraine,” reads the eight-minute video’s caption and title. The video is a montage of clips showing military aircraft and features a narrator reading a July 21 Military.com piece titled, “Air Force Open to Sending A-10s to Ukraine for Fight Against Russia.”

The video’s caption and title are false. There is no evidence that either NATO or the U.S. have sent fighter jets to the Ukrainians. The Ukrainian government has requested fighter jets from its allies, but there is no indication any Western country has signed a deal or is planning to do so, according to Newsweek. Check Your Fact found no credible news reporting about either the U.S. or NATO sending Ukraine hundreds of jets.

Oryx, an open-source defense analyst website that tracks artillery supplements to various conflicts, does not list any fighter aircraft being sent to Ukraine from the U.S. or any other NATO country. (RELATED: Did Ukraine Hit Crimea With HIMARs Missile Strikes?)

While there is no evidence that the U.S. or NATO has sent fighter jets yet, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown Jr hinted during the Aspen Security Summit on July 20 that some Western fighter jets could soon be sent to the country, according to Politico.

Check Your Fact reached out to the Pentagon and NATO for comment and will update this article if a response is provided.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases