Ukraine receives first Mirage fighters – French Defense Ministry
Mirage 2000 fighters (Illustrative photo: EPA)

Ukraine has received its first batch of French Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets, according to French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu.

Ukrainian pilots, who have undergone several months of training in France, will now participate in defending Ukrainian airspace.

"Now, with Ukrainian pilots on board who have been training in France for several months, they will take part in defending Ukraine's skies," Lecornu wrote on X.

The exact number of aircraft delivered was not specified.

The Mirage 2000-5 is an upgraded export version of the fighter jet, which was developed in 1989.

In October 2024, Lecornu announced that the aircraft would be modernized with new equipment, including air-to-ground missiles and enhanced electronic warfare systems.

REFERENCE
The single-engine supersonic Mirage 2000 was the primary fighter aircraft of the French Air Force for 20 years, starting in the mid-1980s. It began to be phased out with the introduction of the twin-engine Rafale in the early 2000s. Mirage aircraft are capable of carrying SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles, guided aerial bombs, and can significantly enhance Ukraine's Su-34 and Su-25 aircraft, according to military experts.

In June 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the transfer of several Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine and the training of Ukrainian pilots, which was expected to last six months.

In January 2025, the French foreign minister confirmed that Ukraine would receive these aircraft in the first quarter of the year.

warmilitary aidFranceSébastien LecornuMirage