The first Ukrainian pilots who underwent intensive training under the guidance of Royal Air Force instructors have graduated from flight school, and will now continue advanced flight training with instructors from the French Air Force, the press service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.

"The ten pilots have completed basic flight, ground and language training in the UK and will one day become the first line of defense, protecting the skies of Ukraine from Russian troops. The group will now move on to advanced flight training provided by the French Air Force before learning to fly F-16 fighter jets," the General Staff said in a Facebook post on Saturday.

The UK Ministry of Defence website quotes Defence Secretary Grant Shapps as saying: "I would like to congratulate these brave pilots on completing their initial training here in the UK. Thanks to the world-renowned skills of RAF, these pilots have received some of the best training available and are now a step closer to joining the fight against Putin's illegal invasion."

As part of the training, experienced RAF instructors reportedly taught pilots general aircraft handling, instrument flight, low-level navigation and complex formation flying. They have also received English language training to aid training and enhance interoperability with NATO air forces - English is the standard language of international flights.

As noted in the message, as part of an international program to ensure pilot training and supply aircraft for Ukraine, the first F-16s are planned to be delivered by the summer of 2024.

"The Ukrainian Armed Forces are grateful for the support and assistance of the UK," the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine emphasizes in the Facebook post.