French Minister of Defense: First Mirage 2000-5Fs arrive in Ukraine today

The first French Mirage 2000-5F multirole fighter jets arrived in Ukraine today.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced this.

“With Ukrainian pilots on board, who have undergone several months of training in France, they will now participate in the defense of Ukrainian skies,” the statement reads.

According to RTL, Ukraine has requested a total of 12 Mirage 2000-5Fs to meet the immediate needs of the Ukrainian Air Force.

However, this information has not been officially confirmed. For example, back in October, Avionslegendaires.net reported that France would provide Ukraine with twelve to twenty such fighter jets as part of its military assistance.

It is known for certain that the first group of pilots and aviation technicians completed training for this type of multi-role combat aircraft at the end of last December.

A French Aid to Ukraine observer said on his X (formerly Twitter) that the Ukrainians’ training on the Mirage 2000-5F lasted six months.

The delivery of the first batch of fighters in the first quarter of 2025 was reported earlier, and journalists of the French newspaper La Tribune even wrote that it would be three aircraft.

Before arriving in Ukraine, the Mirage 2000-5F fighter jets were modified to allow the use of weapons against ground targets.

Mirage 2000-5F: a worthy addition to the F-16?

According to the media, the Mirage 2000-5F, which will be transferred to the Ukrainian Air Force, will be able to use French-British SCALP EG/Storm Shadow cruise missiles and French AASM bombs, which Ukrainian pilots already have experience in using.

In early June 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Ukraine would receive Mirage 2000-5F fighter jets as part of military aid.