Mirage 2000 jets debut to counter Russia's mass attack; 34 missiles, 100 drones intercepted overall
Mirage 2000 (Illustrative photo: Ritchie B. Tongo/EPA)

Russian forces launched a widespread assault on Ukraine overnight into Friday, using various missiles and nearly 200 drones to target critical infrastructure, with a focus on gas industry sites, Ukraine’s Air Force Command reported.

Air defenses tracked 261 aerial threats: 67 missiles of air, ground, and sea origin, and 194 attack drones and decoy UAVs. Russia deployed:

  • 35 X-101/X-55SM cruise missiles
  • 8 Kalibr cruise missiles
  • 3 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles
  • 4 S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles
  • 8 X-59/69 guided aviation missiles
  • 194 Shahedattack drones and other decoy UAVs

Fighter jets, including F-16s and Mirage 2000s, joined anti-aircraft units, electronic warfare systems, and mobile fire teams in repelling the attack.

"French Mirage 2000 jets, delivered to Ukraine just a month ago, participated in countering an enemy air assault for the first time," the Air Force noted.

By 10 a.m., 134 targets were confirmed destroyed:

  • 25 X-101/X-55SM cruise missiles
  • 8 Kalibr cruise missiles
  • 1 X-59/69 guided aviation missile
  • 100 Shahed attack drones

Up to 10 enemy missiles missed their targets (not counted as downed), and 86 decoy drones were lost on radar with no adverse impact.

Russia’s barrage overnight and into the morning of March 7 hit energy and gas infrastructure, with reported damage in Ternopil, Poltava, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, and Odesa oblasts.

warair defensemassive attack