Defense expert and analyst of the Hague Center for Strategic Studies, Frederik Mertens, in a comment for Business Insider, expressed the opinion that the use of F-16 aircraft can help Ukraine in the recapture of Crimea. According to the analyst, Ukraine is "preparing the ground" for future F-16 airstrikes by striking Russian ground-based air defense systems.
In Crimea, the Russians have relatively limited room for maneuver. Replenishment of the occupiers' reserves depends on the Kerch bridge, and "Putin has a lot to lose here, both politically and militarily."
Also, according to the media, F-16s in combination with long-range ATACMS can make Crimea "militarily worthless" for Russia.
