Senate urges Pentagon to consider deploying warplanes to Ukraine

A bipartisan group of senators this week urged the Pentagon to "consider" deploying war planes to Ukraine as it continues to grapple with Russia’s months-long deadly war.

In a letter led by Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, to Secretary of Defense Llyod Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, a bipartisan group of six senators urged the Department of Defense to "consider fourth-generation fighter aircraft and necessary flight training" to be included in upcoming military aid packages, according to Fox News. 

Speaking to Fox News Digital while on duty at 2 a.m. in Ukraine, one fighter pilot, who goes by the call sign "Juice," championed the move and said the advanced aircraft was "critical" for fending off Russian forces.

"Not just fourth-generation fighters," he explained, "but actually U.S.-made fighter jets."

Juice detailed how U.S.-made warplanes include "critical capabilities" that dated MiG-29s and Su-27s – which Ukrainian fighter pilots largely rely on – do not have.

"U.S. jets are multifunctional platforms with advanced sensors and weapons – which could help us first of all to defend our cities, our infrastructure and our civilians from the missile strikes and bombers, to gain the air superiority above the front lines and secure the land forces."

The pilot, whose squadron garnered international attention in the first weeks of the war as they took to the sky to defend Kyiv, said the next step would be using the modern aircraft for counter-offensive actions.