The Ukrainian air force should receive the first deliveries of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets “hopefully very, very soon,” according to the embattled country’s defense chief.

“We need as much as we may get,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told Reuters. “At this stage, we are focused on training our personnel … pilots, we are focused on infrastructure, we are focused on bringing operational and maintenance teams, and we are working on modernization or bringing on more platforms.”