MOSCOW — Speaking at an air base late Wednesday to military pilots, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia had no intention of starting a war with NATO.

He called the claim that Russia would attack a NATO member country "sheer nonsense".

When asked about F-16 fighter jets, which the West has pledged to send to Ukraine, Putin said that the aircraft would not dramatically alter the situation.

At the same meeting, he warned Ukraine’s Western allies against providing air bases in their countries from where the F-16s could launch sorties against the Kremlin's forces, saying those bases would be a “legitimate target.”

The F-16s require a high standard of runways and reinforced hangars to protect them when they are on the ground.

Military analysts have said the arrival of potentially dozens of F-16s won’t be a game-changer, though Ukrainian officials have welcomed them as an opportunity to hit back at Russia's air dominance.

Putin insisted the F-16s “won’t change the situation on the battlefield”.

“We will destroy their warplanes just as we destroy their tanks, armoured vehicles and other equipment, including multiple rocket launchers,” Putin added.

Meanwhile, Russia fired drones and missiles overnight at southern and eastern regions of Ukraine, according to authorities on Thursday, as Kremlin forces persevere with attrition attacks designed to wear down Ukrainian defences. — Euronews