Russian president Vladimir Putin issued a stark and direct warning: Russian forces will destroy any F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft delivered to Ukraine from NATO allies, “wherever they are.” Yet, he also insisted that Moscow had no intention of attacking any country in the alliance.

“We have no aggressive intentions towards these states,” Putin said in reference to NATO member states Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and the Czech Republic, according to a Kremlin transcript released on Thursday.

“The idea that we will attack some other country—Poland, the Baltic States, and the Czechs are also being scared—­is complete nonsense. It’s just drivel,” Putin told a group of Russian pilots during a visit to the 344th Army Aviation Center in Torzhok, 160 miles northwest of Moscow.

The Kremlin has accused the NATO alliance and the United States of engaging in a proxy war against Russia by providing Kyiv with money, weapons, and intelligence.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon Won’t Change the Ukraine War

After it was announced last year that Washington would allow the transfer of F-16 Fighting Falcon jets from Denmark, Belgium, Norway, and the Netherlands—all NATO members—to Ukraine, Putin claimed the aircraft would make no difference. He reaffirmed that stance on Thursday.

“If they supply F-16s, and they are talking about this and are apparently training pilots, this will not change the situation on the battlefield,” Putin said. “And we will destroy the aircraft just as we destroy today tanks, armored vehicles and other equipment, including multiple rocket launchers.”

The Russian leader was referencing the recently confirmed losses of multiple U.S.-made M1 Abrams tanks, a HIMARS mobile launcher, and one Patriot air defense battery. The losses have been seen as major blows for Kyiv.

The F-16 is a Legitimate Target

Putin has also made clear that the F-16—which is able to carry nuclear weapons—should be seen as a legitimate target even if it isn’t located in Ukraine.

A group of fourteen countries has pledged to deliver the aircraft and provide training for Ukrainian pilots. The first F-16s are expected to arrive in Ukraine by this summer.

“Of course, if they will be used from airfields in third countries, they become for us legitimate targets, wherever they might be located,” Putin stated, indicating that Russia might target the aircraft if they are based outside of Ukraine but operated by Kyiv’s forces.

Earlier this month, the Russian president also warned that Russia could face NATO in a full-scale conflict suggesting, “anything is possible in today’s world.” He has continued to frame Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine as a proxy war between Moscow and the international military alliance.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Forces. It was designed as an air superiority day fighter but evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft with more than 4,600 built since 1976. Although the Fighting Falcon is no longer purchased by the U.S. Air Force, improved versions are being built for export by aerospace giant Lockheed Martin.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-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. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].