Ukraine will start operating F-16s after Orthodox Easter on May 5, Kyiv has said, as the country contends with devastating Russian bombardment and the long wait for the Western-made fighter jets. “We are waiting,” Ukrainian air force spokesperson Ilya Yevlash said, adding the jets will be taking to the skies over the war-torn country “after Easter,”

“This year, more than a squadron of donated F-16s will start to arrive in Ukraine, along with pilots and maintainers” trained by Ukraine’s backers, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in late April.

https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-f16-fighter-jets-air-force-1895964

 

Curious — So how does this work exactly – if a US Military Pilot / Army etc. takes a sanctioned leave of absence to put on a Ukrainian uniform (or act as a mercenary) and subsequently dies during combat, when their bodies are returned to the US do they receive full US military honors (insurance benefits etc. for their families) or does the gov’t deny that they were working for the US MIC in order to not suggest / confirm that NATO troops are fighting Russia directly?