France has delivered its first Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine to assist in defending its airspace against Russia’s aggression, announced French Minister of Defense Sébastien Lecornu today.
Lecornu confirmed that the first jets had arrived in Ukraine, but he did not specify the number of aircraft delivered. The French Ministry of Defense had previously stated that six Mirage 2000-5 jets out of the 26 in France’s air force inventory would be transferred to Ukraine as part of the military cooperation agreement between the two nations.
Earlier, President Emmanuel Macron pledged the transfer of these aircraft to Ukraine and initiated the training of Ukrainian pilots to operate the jets, which have been modified to handle Russian countermeasures.
These new additions to Ukraine’s air defense capabilities come after months of pilot training in eastern France. The French fighter jets are expected to enhance Ukraine’s ability to secure its skies amid ongoing conflict with Russia.
