Kiev claims first combat use of French jets
Ukraine has deployed French-supplied Mirage 2000 fighter jets in combat for the first time, Air Force spokesman Yury Ignat announced on Friday. The aircraft were used overnight to counter a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, the spokesman stated.
Kiev received its first batch of fourth-generation jets from France last month. Last October, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu confirmed that Ukrainian pilots were being trained in France to operate the aircraft.
In a Facebook post, Ignat claimed that the jets intercepted over 100 Russian drones and 34 missiles, while also preventing ten missiles from reaching their targets. Ukrainian army spokesman Dmitry Likhovi acknowledged the deployment, noting that the strikes coincided with the first large-scale Russian assault on Ukraine's infrastructure since Washington halted military aid in an effort to encourage negotiations with Moscow.
The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed carrying out an overnight strike on Ukrainian energy facilities that support Kiev's military-industrial complex. It stated that all intended targets were destroyed but did not address Ukraine's reported use of Mirage 2000 jets. The ministry also reported that Russian forces have conducted seven group strikes across Ukraine since early March, targeting military airfields, ammunition depots, and drone control centers.
France initially announced plans to supply Mirage 2000 jets to Ukraine last summer, but deliveries were repeatedly delayed. While the total number of aircraft provided remains undisclosed, Le Journal du Dimanche reported in October that Ukraine was expected to receive only six planes.
Russian defense conglomerate Rostec has dismissed the Mirage 2000 as outdated, calling it 'significantly inferior' to modern Russian fighters. A company representative previously argued that the aircraft share structural vulnerabilities with US-made F-16s, limiting their effectiveness near the frontlines. The long-anticipated delivery of F-16s to Ukraine has had minimal impact on the battlefield, with Kiev losing its first jet during a maiden combat mission in September 2024, and reports of their operational use remaining scarce.
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