The first Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets that Paris handed over to Kiev have already been delivered to Ukraine to help it defend its airspace from Russia, French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced, quoted by Agence France-Presse, BTA reports.
“Today, after several months dedicated to the training of Ukrainian pilots in France, the first aircraft arrived in Ukraine“, Lecornu said on the social network “Ex“, without specifying exactly how many fighters were involved.
“With Ukrainian pilots on board, they will now participate in the defense of Ukrainian skies“, he added.
According to a budget report by the French National Assembly published in the fall, six of the 26 Mirage fighter jets 2000-5“, owned by the French Air Force, are to be handed over to Ukraine. This number was neither denied nor confirmed by the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, which explained that it was keeping the matter secret for security reasons.
The handover of the “Mirage 2000-5“ fighters, which are specialized for aerial combat, was announced in June 2024 by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Since then, Ukrainian pilots and technicians have been training on the aircraft in France and they have undergone modifications.
These modifications include the addition of “air-to-ground“ combat equipment for air strikes and "electronic warfare" to counter powerful Russian jamming, Sebastien Lecornu explained in October.
The equipment has been added to the "Cazo" air base in southwestern France, and pilots and mechanics are being trained at the "Nancy" base in eastern France.
Ukraine, which is under constant Russian bombing, especially of its energy infrastructure, is in desperate need of more air defense and fighter jets.
Several countries that own American F-16 fighter jets have already delivered such aircraft to Kiev. Specifically, Norway delivered the first batch of six F-16 fighters it promised to Kiev, AFP recalls.