Click Here to Tell Congress: Get Ukraine's F-16s Back in the Air

Dear Friends,

About half of Ukraine's F-16 fleet is stuck in repairs in Belgium under a U.S. Air Force contract. These jets are Ukraine's first line of defense against Russian bombing. Every day they stay on the ground costs Ukrainian lives.

Why It Matters

• Ukrainian F-16s have shot down 666 cruise missiles and 2,500 drones. Half of the fleet is now in a hangar in Belgium.

• Russia launched 2,000 jet-powered drones at Ukraine in September, up from 350 in June, and about 45% of them got through.

• An F-16 brings down a jet drone for about $25,000. Without it, Ukraine has to fire Patriot interceptors, which cost millions of dollars each, are supplied by the United States, and are the only defense against ballistic missiles. On October 15, CNN reported that Ukraine had run out of them.

• In September, 328 civilians were killed and 2,105 injured across Ukraine, 85% more than a year earlier (UN).

What Happened

On January 29, 2026, the U.S. Air Force awarded Sabena Engineering in Brussels a contract of up to $235.8 million to maintain Ukraine's F-16s. According to the Wall Street Journal editorial board, one inspection there takes about 40 weeks, compared with 2 to 6 weeks in the United States.

On October 2, President Zelensky told the Financial Times that about half of Ukraine's F-16s are in Europe for repair. Six F-16s that Norway gave Ukraine in 2023 have been at the facility for more than a year. The Belgian government and the company dispute the reports. Nobody has published the count. The Air Force has it.

What We Are Asking Congress

We are asking key Members of Congress to sign a bipartisan letter to Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink asking, for each month since January 29:

• how many Ukrainian F-16s went into maintenance and how many came back;

• which parts are holding aircraft;

• what a second maintenance line would cost;

• whether the United States has asked Belgium to lend Ukraine flyable F-16s in the meantime.

It is a document request: no new money and no new authority.

What It Can Change

• a requirement in the final FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act for the Air Force to report these figures to Congress every quarter;

• language in the year-end funding bill directing the Air Force to brief Congress;

• a second maintenance line, for example at the Air Force's own F-16 depot at Hill Air Force Base in Utah;

• a loan of flyable jets from Belgium now. Belgium is retiring about 50 F-16s and has promised all of them to Ukraine by 2029, so a loan only changes the timing.

This is not a campaign against Belgium, which has given Ukraine more than €4.6 billion. We are asking the Air Force to make sure its own contract delivers.

Do You Live In One Of These States Or Districts?

We are focusing on 35 offices whose members can move this issue, and offices listen most closely to their own constituents.

• Senate (every resident of the state): Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah.

• House districts: AL-3, AZ-6, AZ-7, AZ-8, CA-41, CT-1, CT-2, IL-5, MA-9, MN-4, NJ-1, OH-9, OH-10, PA-1, SC-2, SC-4, TN-9, TX-3, TX-12, TX-33, UT-1, VA-1, WA-9.

Not sure of your district? Check it here: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

If you live in one of them, write to me at stasya@amukr.org with your name and ZIP code. I will reply with the direct emails of the right staff in your members' offices, a template letter, and our briefing materials. It takes about 15 minutes. Please write this week, before Congress returns on November 9.

Don't live there? Please forward this email to family and friends who do.