“All Ukrainians really appreciate your support,” said a Ukrainian “top gun” pilot who just became one of the first to finish an RAF training course, thanking Britain for its assistance.

‘Without you, we don’t know how this (war) would proceed,’ the airman, one of eight who graduated Wednesday from a 16-week training at a base in Eastern England, said.

Using the English language, navigation skills, conducting sorties in formation, and taking to the skies in various scenarios, the serviceman, who can only be identified as “Skipper,” and his group have received training in flying in accordance with NATO rules.

The group will now go to France for the second phase of their training, where they will learn how to fly F16 fighter planes. They were specifically selected for the school from among the best pilots in Ukraine. Next year, they’ll be eligible.

According to the pilot, using F16s, which NATO nations have sent to Ukraine, is “really helpful if we’re talking about air superiority.”

The pilot of one of the first American-built F16s sent to Ukraine perished in a crash last month while attempting to halt drone and missile strikes.

“Skipper” said, “What do I need to be afraid of?” when asked whether he was terrified. Nowadays, every profession in Ukraine is risky.

“I lost close friends and a piece of my family.”

“They (Russia) are afraid of us,” he maintained.

We’ll all be prepared to return to Ukraine with fresh perspectives and abilities. We’re prepared to demonstrate our abilities to the globe.

Because of his prior experience flying fast planes in Ukraine, Skipper, who took the RAF’s most recent Operation Interstorm training and achieved the Best Piloting Skills award, was selected for the course.

He described an incident in 2022, close to the beginning of the conflict, when his air station was in danger of being bombarded.

According to “Skipper,” the F16s that NATO nations have sent to Ukraine are “really helpful if we’re talking about air superiority.”

“We had to rush to our plane and leave the base,” he stated. Saving the aeroplane was the goal.

According to the airman, fast jet pilots in Ukraine are presently tasked with defending the nation and its soldiers against missiles and drones.

However, he said that during the early stages of the conflict, fellow soldiers engaged in “dog fights (with Russian planes) when they flew over Kyiv.”

He went on to say that he hopes Ukraine will be allowed to use the F16 planes to strike targets within Russian territory. “It’s crucial for us,” he stated.

The RAF has now trained 24 pilots, including those who graduated yesterday. Approximately 45,000 Ukrainian military personnel have now received training from the UK as part of an agreement that the government has extended for an additional year.

Although 16 pilots have received training at earlier Interstorm courses in the UK in the last year, this is the first time a Ukrainian participant has agreed to talk in public.

Speaking during their graduation, Air Vice Marshal Ian Townsend commended the students and about 20 RAF instructors for their “exemplary” devotion and commitment.

50 hours of flight time on a Grob 11SE small aircraft were part of the training.

Luke Pollard, the minister of the armed forces, commended the pilots for their willingness to serve “on the frontline for freedom and security in Europe.”

“Today is the result of some exceptional cooperation that shows the RAF’s agility to support our Ukrainian friends,” he continued.

“Because no side has dominance in the air, trench warfare is at a standstill on the ground,” the Air Vice Marshall said.

We’re giving them the ability to defend themselves from above. The fact that these young guys have that responsibility for their nation is both thrilling and incredibly humble.

Additionally, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, declared: “We will fly and fight and win.”

Luke Pollard, the minister of the armed forces, commended the pilots for their willingness to serve “on the frontline for freedom and security in Europe.”

“I wish the people of Ukraine were not forced to defend their homeland against unprovoked attacks and unimaginable loss on a daily basis,” he said, adding that it was “one graduation I wish I wasn’t attending.”

According to ministers, the UK is still totally committed to helping Ukraine, and the government has pledged £3 billion for military assistance this year and for “as long as it takes.”