For the first time, Mirage 2000-5F multirole fighters of the Ukrainian Air Force took part in repelling a Russian combined missile and drone strike, as reported by the Air Force Command.

F-16 aircraft, among others, were involved in repelling the airstrike alongside the French fighter jets.

The Command highlighted that the Mirage 2000-5Fs had arrived in Ukraine just a month before as part of France’s military aid package.

As reported, the first group of Ukrainian pilots and aviation technicians completed their training on the Mirage 2000-5F multirole fighters at the end of December last year. A French Aid to Ukraine observer noted that the training program had lasted six months.

On the night of March 7, 2025, Russian invaders launched a coordinated strike with various air-, land-, and sea-based missiles targeting Ukraine’s critical infrastructure.

The primary focus of the Russian attack was on Ukraine’s gas production facilities.

Preliminary reports indicate that the invaders launched 261 air attack assets, including 67 missiles of various types and 194 attack drones and simulator UAVs.

The Air Force reported that the strike included:

• 35 Kh-101/Kh-55 cruise missiles
• 8 Kalibr cruise missiles
• 3 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles
• 4 S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles
• 8 Kh-59/69 guided missiles
• 194 Shahed-type strike drones, along with other drones.

In addition to fighter jets, the enemy’s air attack was repelled by Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire teams.

As of 10:00 a.m., a total of 134 air targets were confirmed to have been destroyed, including:

• 25 Kh-101/Kh-55 cruise missiles
• 8 Kalibr cruise missiles
• 1 Kh-59/69 guided missile
• 100 Shahed strike drones, along with other types of drones.

In addition, up to ten enemy missiles, not included in the downed statistics, did not reach their targets. Furthermore, 86 enemy decoy drones were “location lost” without any negative consequences.