Pentagon’s Kirby Rectifies Statement, Says Ukraine Hasn’t Received ‘Whole Aircraft’

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby issued a statement late Wednesday, in which he clarified that Ukraine has not received “whole aircraft” from the United States, or other nations.

“Yesterday I said at the briefing that Ukraine had received ‘whole aircraft.’ I didn’t say the word ‘whole,’ but that was the impression that I gave you. I was mistaken. They have not received whole aircraft from another nation,” Kirby said in the statement.

Kirby said that he had been given to understand that an offer made by another nation in the region, to provide whole fixed-wing aircraft to Ukraine, “had been effected. It has not. So I was in error in saying that, in past tense, they had been given whole aircraft. I regret the error.”

Kirby said that the Ukrainians have received, through United States coordination and provision, enough spare parts and additional equipment such that they have been able to put in operation more fixed-wing aircraft in their fleet than they had even two to three weeks ago.

“As a matter of fact, through our efforts to provide them spare parts and coordinate the delivery of spare parts from other countries, they have been able to increase their fleet by quite a number,” Kirby concluded in the statement.