Ukraine's Top General Acknowledges Russian Air Superiority, Questions F-16 Effectiveness

Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky has complained about the Russian air superiority and conceded that there were limits to what the long-promised F-16 fighter jets could achieve on the battlefield, British media reported Wednesday.

Syrsky said in an interview with The Guardian newspaper that Russia had "superior aviation" and "very strong" air defenses. Because of this Ukraine was forced to rely more on unmanned aerial vehicles.

The general explained that F-16 fighters could only be used 40 kilometers (25 miles) or further away from the front-line due to the risks of being downed.