The Ukrainian Air Force has taken receipt of a batch of French Mirage 2000-5 and F-16 multi-role fighter planes from the Netherlands, President confirmed on Thursday.
“‘s air fleet continues to develop,” wrote Zelenskyy on social media.
“The first Mirage 2000 jets from have arrived, adding to our air defense capabilities. I thank [French President] for his leadership and support. France’s president keeps his word, and we appreciate it. This is another step in strengthening Ukraine’s security.”
French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu also confirmed the delivery of the Mirage fighters, saying: “Manned by Ukrainian pilots who have trained in France for several months, they will now participate in the defense of Ukraine’s skies.”
How many French fighter planes has Ukraine received?
President Macron had promised to provide Mirage aircraft to Ukraine back in June 2024, but neither Zelenskyy nor Lecornu specified how many Ukraine had received.
According to a French parliamentary budget report published last year, the French Air Force was planning to send six of its 26 Mirage 2000-5 planes to Ukraine, figures which have neither been confirmed nor denied by the French Defense Ministry for security reasons.
Lecornu had previously explained that the French aircraft had undergone modifications to adapt them to the battlefield realities in and above Ukraine. This includes the addition of air-to-ground combat capabilities and anti-electronic warfare defenses to resist Russian jammers.
Dutch F-16 jets also arrive in Ukraine
Also on Thursday, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that the had delivered additional US-made F-16 fighter planes which he said “will soon begin carrying out combat missions, strengthening our defense,” along with the French Mirage jets.
“With the latest deliveries, we are also continuing to expand our F-16 fleet, with the Netherlands fulfilling its commitments to support this effort,” said Zelenskyy.
Several European countries have pledged some of their American-made F-16s to Ukraine, including , an initiative which is even more important to Kyiv given fears of decreasing support from Washington since ‘s inauguration.
“I am grateful to everyone who helps and contributes to this,” said Zelenskyy.
Russia claims Ukrainian offensive repelled in Kursk
, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday that it had repelled another Ukrainian offensive in Kursk, the southwestern Russian region which is partly under Ukrainian occupation.
The battlefield claim is impossible to verify independently and there was no immediate comment from Kyiv, but the Russian reports come exactly six months on from in August.
They initially captured more than 1,000 square kilometers of territory, although Russian counterattacks have since seen over half of that land recaptured.
“Tomorrow marks six months since the start of the Kursk operation – a critical step for our fight,” President Zelenskyy had said on Wednesday evening, claiming the incursion had tied down over 60,000 Russian troops.
“At some point, when the war moves toward a diplomatic resolution, you will see just how important this operation was,” he said. “Their forces are stuck like a magnet.”
It has been suggested that Ukrainian generals see the territorial conquest in Kursk, however small, as a bargaining chip in future peace negotiations with .
Ukraine claims to have struck Russian airfield
Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces claimed to have struck an airfield in Krasnodar in southern Russia that was allegedly being used to launch -designed Shahed drones.
The Primorsko-Akhtarsk airfield reportedly houses drones and aircraft used to attack Ukraine’s Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported downing Ukrainian drones over Krasnodar, but it didn’t say where or mention the airfield.
Back in Ukraine, the Ukrainian air force said Russia launched 77 drones at targets overnight, of which 56 were destroyed and 18 were jammed.
Two ballistic Iskander-M missiles were reportedly also fired at Ukraine, damaging some buildings but causing no casualties.
Edited by: Louis Oelofse
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