Conflicting reports about Ukraine’s use of F-16s and other Western weapons reveal how disinformation, especially from Russian sources, manipulates quotes and distorts narratives to undermine Kyiv and sow doubt.
Colonel Yuriy Ignat, head of the communications department of the Ukrainian Air Force Command, acknowledged to the Ukrainska Pravada that his nation had lost three of the F-16 Fighting Falcons provided by NATO members, including Belgium and the Netherlands.
“We have seen reports about the loss of aircraft; this should be taken as normal. Unfortunately, there are losses in the war, including F-16s. With such intense fighting, it is clear that there can be losses. We are building up [the capabilities],” the Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson explained in an interview.
Ihnat also admitted that Russia had an advantage in air power before the arrival of the American-made F-16, and that the Kremlin still maintains a significant “advantage in target detection range.” In contrast, “its missiles have a more extended range than the F-16.”
Ukrainian officials have praised the F-16’s capabilities, which have been seen as highly effective in countering Russia’s missile and drone strikes. The Fighting Falcon’s multirole capabilities have enabled it to be employed in strikes against Russian positions. Kyiv hasn’t received enough of the aircraft to be a true “game changer” to turn the tide of the war; its effectiveness can’t be overstated.
However, another quote from Ihnat suggests he has little confidence in the F-16.
“Unfortunately, Russia has jets that see farther and missiles that fly farther today. That’s even when compared to F-16s. They also have powerful air defenses, which work in tandem with aviation. If we talk about MiG-29s and Su-27s, they pale in comparison,” Ihnat said.
Russian Propaganda Skews the Narrative
The latter quote, however, didn’t appear in the Ukrainian news outlet and is nowhere to be found in the transcript. Instead, it was from Russia’s TASS news agency, which offered the spelling Yury Ignat for the air force spokesperson.
TASS further offered, “Russian fighter jets are superior to the Western-made F-16s that were donated to Ukraine,” said Yury Ignat, and added, “this is not the first time that the Ukrainian Air Force has complained about Western weapons.”
For example, Ignat said in late May that the Patriot air defense system struggles to deflect Russian Iskander missiles.
That isn’t precisely what Ihnat said, however. He also acknowledged that upgraded Russian missiles, notably those equipped with radar decoys and capable of making evasive maneuvers, were presenting challenges for air defense systems, including the US-made Patriot, in intercepting these threats. However, he praised the system and its ability to intercept Russian ballistic missiles, even those with increased countermeasures.
The Truth Is the First Casualty of War
It has long been said that the truth is the first casualty of war, and there has been no shortage of misinformation shared by both Kyiv and Moscow in the ongoing conflict. However, the Kremlin has proven quite effective in its disinformation campaigns.
That has included planting stories that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife have gone on lavish spending sprees. Last year, it was even reported that Zelensky had purchased a car once owned by Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. The story circulated widely on social media after being published in a fake news outlet in the United States.
“Information is a tool of war, and propaganda that paints one side or the other as victorious when that isn’t necessarily the case is part of that,” explained Susan Campbell, distinguished lecturer in the Communications, Film and Media Studies Department in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of New Haven.
“I don’t think we should be surprised when any nation-state lies about their prospects in war, or when any nation-state lies about their opponents. It’s expected, and at this point, I do not believe too many people are looking to Russia to tell the truth about their invasion of Ukraine these days,” Campbell told The National Interest.
“That was founded on a lie, and lies have helped prop up Russia’s efforts there.”
Russia Is Making Ukraine Look Ungrateful
Unlike putting into question whether the Western-supplied aid is going to waste, as Russia has done in the past, this current disinformation campaign is instead meant to suggest that Ukraine has been dismissive and even ungrateful of Western-supplied hardware.
Like other misinformation and disinformation efforts, it is based on a kernel of truth, albeit a distorted one. There have been reports that some Ukrainian soldiers have been disappointed with the performance of the German-made Leopard 2 and American-built M1 Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs). The issue may have been that both tanks were billed as miracle weapons, while neither was likely supplied in the numbers that Kyiv required to make a significant difference in the war effort.
Ukrainians have also criticized the Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzer for being too complicated, undermining its combat reliability. By contrast, the German-made Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun has received high praise from Kyiv’s forces. That may be why TASS isn’t reporting on it!
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Oleksandr Osipov.
